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object:Liber 175 - the Book of Uniting
                 ASTARTE
                   vel
                Liber BERYLLI
               sub figura CLXXV
                A.. A..
             Publication in Class B.
                 Imprimatur:
              N. Fra A.. A..
0. This is the Book of Uniting Himself to a particular Deity by
devotion.
  1. Considerations before the Threshold. First concerning the choice of
   a particular Deity. This matter is of no import, sobeit that thou
   choose one suited to thine own highest nature. Howsoever, this
   method is not so suitable for gods austere as Saturn, or
   intellectual as Thoth. But for such deities as in themselves
   partake in anywise of love it is a perfect mode.

  2. Concerning the prime method of this Magick Art. Let the devotee
   consider well that although Christ and Osiris be one, yet the
   former is to be worshipped with Christian, and the latter with
   Egyptian rites. And this although the rites themselves are
   ceremonially equivalent. There should, however, be one symbol
   declaring the transcending of such limitations; and with regard to
   the Deity also, there should be some one affirmation of his
   identity both with all other similar gods of other nations, and
   with the Supreme of whom all are but partial reflections.

  3. Concerning the chief place of devotion. This is the Heart of the
   Devotee, and should be symbolically represented by that room or
   spot which he loves best. And the dearest spot therein shall be the
   shrine of his temple. It is most convenient if this shrine and
   altar should be sequestered in woods, or in a private grove, or
   garden. But let it be protected from the profane.

  4. Concerning the Image of the Deity. Let there be an image of the
   Deity; first because in meditation there is mindfulness induced
   thereby; and second because a certain power enters and inhabits it
   by virtue of the ceremonies; or so it is said, and We deny it not.
   Let this image be the most beautiful and perfect which the devotee
   is able to procure; or if he be able to paint or to carve the same,
   it is all the better. As for Deities with whose nature no Image is
   compatible, let them be worshipped in an empty shrine. Such are
   Brahma, and Allah. Also some postcaptivity conceptions of Jehovah.

  5. Further concerning the shrine. Let this shrine be furnished
   approriately as to its ornaments, according to the book 777. With
   ivy and pine-cones, that is to say, for Bacchus, and let lay before
   him both grapes and wine. So also for Ceres let there be corn, and
   cakes; or for Diana moon-wort and pale herbs, and pure water.
   Further it is well to support the shrine with talismans of the
   planets, signs and elements appropriate. But these should be made
   according to the right Ingenium of the Philosophus by the light of
   the Book 777 during the course of his Devotion. It is also well,
   nevertheless, if a magick circle with the right signs and names be
   made beforehand.

  6. Concerning the Ceremonies. Let the Philosophus prepare a powerful
   Invocation of the particular Deity according to his Ingenium. But
   let it consist of these several parts:
   First, an Imprecation, as of a slave unto his Lord.
   Second, an Oath, as of a vassal to his Liege.
   Third, a Memorial, as of a child to his Parent.
   Fourth, an Orison, as of a Priest unto his God.
   Fifth, a Colloquy, as of a Brother with his Brother.
   Sixth, a Conjuration, as to a Friend with his Friend.
   Seventh, a Madrigal, as of a Lover to his Mistress.
   And mark well that the first should be of awe, the second of
   fealty, the third of dependence, the fourth of adoration, the fifth
   of confidence, the sixth of comradeship, the seventh of passion.

  7. Further concerning the ceremonies. Let then this Invocation be the
   principal part of an ordered ceremony. And in this ceremony let the
   Philosophus in no wise neglect the service of a menial. Let him
   sweep and garnish the place, sprinkling it with water or with wine
   as is appropriate to the particular Deity, and consecrating it with
   oil, and with such ritual as may seem him best. And let all be done
   with intensity and minuteness.

  8. Concerning the period of devotion, and the hours thereof. Let a
   fixed period be set for the worship; and it is said that the least
   time is nine days by seven, and the greatest seven years by nine.
   And concerning the hours, let the Ceremony be performed every day
   thrice, or at least once, and let the sleep of the Philosophus be
   broken for some purpose of devotion at least once in every night.
   Now to some it may seem best to appoint fixed hours for the
   ceremony, to others it may seem that the ceremony should be
   performed as the spirit moves them so to do: for this there is no
   rule.

  9. Concerning the Robes and Instruments. The Wand and Cup are to be
   chosen for this Art; never the Sword or Dagger, never the Pantacle,
   unless that Pantacle chance to be of a nature harmonious. But even
   so it is best to keep the Wand and Cup, and if one must choose, the
   Cup.
   For the Robes, that of a Philosohus, or that of an Adept Within is
   most suitable; or, the robe best fitted for the service of the
   particular Deity, as a bassara for Bacchus, a white robe for Vesta.
   So also, for Vesta, one might use for instrument the Lamp; or the
   sickle, for Chronos.

10. Concerning the Incense and Libations. The incense should follow the
   nature of the particular Deity; as, mastic for Mercury, dittany for
   Persephone. Also the libations, as, a decoction of nightshade for
   Melancholia, or of Indian hemp for Uranus.

11. Concerning the harmony of the ceremonies. Let all these things be
   rightly considered, and at length, in language of the utmost beauty
   at the comm and of the Philosophus, accompanied, if he has skill, by
   music, and interwoven, if the particular Deity be jocund, with
   dancing. And all being carefully prepared and rehearsed, let it be
   practised daily until it be wholly rhythmical with his aspiration,
   and as it were, a part of his being.

12. Concerning the variety of the ceremonies. Now, seeing that every
   man differeth essentially from every other man, albeit in essence
   he is identical, let also these ceremonies assert their identity by
   their diversity. For this reason do We leave much herein to the
   right Ingenium of the Philosophus.

13. Concerning the life of the devotee. First, let his way of life be
   such as is pleasing to the particular Deity. Thus to invoke
   Neptune, let him go a-fishing; but if Hades, let him not approach
   the water that is hateful to Him.

14. Further, concerning the life of the devotee. Let him cut away from
   his life any act, word, or thought, that is hateful to the
   particular Deity; as, unchastity in the case of Artemis, evasions
   in the case of Ares. Besides this, he should avoid all harshness or
   unkindness of any kind in thought, word, or deed, seeing that above
   the particular Deity is One in whom all is One. Yet also he may
   deliberately practise cruelties, where the particular Deity
   manifests His Love in that manner, as in the case of Kali, and of
   Pan. And therefore, before the beginning of his period of devotion,
   let him practise according to the rules of Liber Jugorum.

15. Further concerning the life of the devotee. Now, as many are fully
   occupied with their affairs, let it be known that this method is
   adaptable to the necessities of all.
   And We bear witness that this which followeth is the Crux and
   Quintessence of the whole Method.
   First, if he have no Image, let him take anything soever, and
   consecrate it as an Image of his God. Likewise with his robes and
   instruments, his suffumigations and libations: for his Robe hath he
   not a nightdress; for his instrument a walking stick; for his
   suffumigation a burning match; for his libation a glass of water?
   But let him consecrate each thing that he useth to the service of
   that particular Deity, and not profane the same to any other use.

16. Continuation. Next, concerning his time, if it be short. Let him
   labour mentally upon his Invocation, concentrating it, and let him
   perform this Invocation in his heart whenever he hath the leisure.
   And let him seize eagerly upon every opportunity for this.

17. Continuation. Third, even if he have leisure and preparation, let
   him seek ever to bring inward the symbols, so that even in his well
   ordered shrine the whole ceremony revolve inwardly in his heart,
   that is to say in the temple of his body, of which the outer temple
   is but an image. For in the brain is the shrine, and there is no
   Image therein; and the breath of man is the incense and the
   libation.

18. Continuation. Further concerning occupation. Let the devotee
   transmute within the alembic of his heart every thought, or word,
   or act into the spiritual gold of his devotion.
   As thus: eating. Let him say: "I eat this food in gratitude to my
   Deity that hath sent it to me, in order to gain strength for my
   devotion to Him."
   Or: sleeping. Let him say: "I lie down to sleep, giving thanks for
   this blessing from my Deity, in order that I may be refreshed for
   new devotion to Him."
   Or: reading. Let him say: "I read this book that I may study the
   nature of my Deity, that further knowledge of Him may inspire me
   with deeper devotion to Him."
   Or: working. Let him say: "I drive my spade into the earth that
   fresh flowers (fruit, or what not) may spring up to His glory, and
   that I, purified by toil, may give better devotion to Him."
   Or: whatever it may be that he is doing, let him reason it out in
   his own mind, drawing it through circumstance and circumstance to
   that one end and conclusion of the matter. And let him not perform
   the act until he hath done this.
   As it is written: Liber VII, cap. v. ---

   22. Every breath, every word, every thought is an
   act of love with thee.
   23. The beat of my heart is the pendulum of love.
   24. The songs of me are the soft sighs:
   25. The thoughts of me are very rapture:
   26. And my deeds are the myriads of Thy Children,
   the stars and the atoms.
   And Remember Well, that if thou wert in truth a lover, all this
   wouldst thou do of thine own nature without the slightest flaw or
   failure in the minutest part thereof.

19. Concerning the Lections. Let the Philosohus read solely in his
   copies of the holy books of Thelema, during the whole period of his
   devotion. But if he weary, then let him read books which have no
   part whatever in love, as for recreation.
   But let him copy out each verse of Thelema which bears upon this
   matter, and ponder them, and comment thereupon. For therein is a
   wisdom and a magic too deep to utter in any other wise.

20. Concerning the Meditations. Herein is the most potent method of
   attaining unto the End, for him who is thoroughly prepared, being
   purified by the practice of the Transmutation of deed into
   devotion, and consecrated by the right performance of the holy
   ceremonies. Yet herein is danger, for that the Mind is fluid as
   quicksilver, and bordereth upon the Abyss, and is beset by many
   sirens and devils that seduce and attack it to destroy it.
   Therefore let the devotee beware, and precise accurately his
   meditations, even as a man should build a canal from sea to sea.

21. Continuation. Let then the Philosophus meditate upon all love that
   hath ever stirred him. There is the love of David and of Jonathan,
   and the love of Abraham and Isaac, and the love of Lear and
   Cordelia, and the love of Damon and Pythias, and the love of Sappho
   and Atthis, and the love of Romeo and Juliet, and the love of Dante
   and Beatrice, and the love of Paolo and Francesca, and the love of
   Caesar and Lucrezia Borgia, and the love of Aucassin and Nicolette,
   and the love of Daphnis and Chloe, and the love of Cornelia and
   Caius Gracchus, and the love of Bacchus and Ariadne, and the love
   of Cupid and Psyche, and the love of Endymion and Artemis, and the
   love of Demeter and Persephone, and the love of Venus and Adonis,
   and the love of Lakshmi and Vishnu, and the love of Siva and
   Bhavani, and the love of Buddha and Ananda, and the love of Jesus
   and John, and many more.
   Also there is the love of many saints for their particular deity,
   as of St. Francis of Assisi for Christ, of Sri Sabhapaty Swami for
   Maheswara, of Abdullah Haji Shirazi for Allah, of St Ignatius
   Loyola for Mary, and many more.
   Now do thou take one such story every night, and enact it in thy
   mind, grasping each identity with infinite care and zest, and do
   thou figure thyself as one of the lovers and thy Deity as the
   other. Thus do thou pass through all adventures of love, not
   omitting one; and to each do thou conclude: How pale a reflection
   is this of my love for this Deity!
   Yet from each shalt thou draw some knowledge of love, some intimacy
   with love, that shall aid thee to perfect thy love. Thus learn the
   humility of love from one, its obedience from another, its
   intensity from a third, its purity from a fourth, its peace from
   yet a fifth.
   So then thy love being made perfect, it shall be worthy of that
   perfect love of His.

22. Further concerning meditation. Moreover let the Philosophus imagine
   to himself that he hath indeed succeeded in his devotion, and that
   his Lord hath appeared to him, and that they converse as may be
   fitting.

23. Concerning the Mysterious Triangle. Now then as three cords
   separately may be broken by a child, while those same cords duly
   twisted may bind a giant, let the Philosophus learn to entwine
   these three methods of Magic into a Spell.
   To this end let him understand that as they are One, because the
   end is one, so are they One because the method is One, even the
   method of turning the mind toward the particular Deity by love in
   every act.
   And lest thy twine slip, here is a little cord that wrappeth
   tightly round and round all, even the Mantram or Continuous Prayer.

24. Concerning the Mantram or Continuous Prayer. Let the Philosophus
   weave the Name of the Particular Deity into a sentence short and
   rhythmical, as, for Artemis:
   epsilon-pi-epsilon-lambda-theta-omicron-nu,
   epsilon-pi-epsilon-lambda-theta-omicron-nu,
   Alpha-rho-tau-epsilon-mu-iota-sigma; or, for Shiva: Namo Shivaya
   namaha Aum; or, for Mary: Ave Maria; or for Pan,
   chi-alpha-iota-rho-epsilon Sigma-omega-tau-eta-rho
   kappa-omicron-sigma-mu-omicron-upsilon, Iota-omega Pi-alpha-nu,
   Iota-omega Pi-alpha-nu; or, for Allah: Hua Allahu alazi lailaha
   illa Hua.
   Let him repeat this day and night without cessation mechanically in
   his brain, which is thus made ready for the advent of that Lord,
   and armed against all other.

25. Concerning the Active and the Passive. Let the Philosophus change
   from the active love of his particular Deity to a state of passive
   waiting, even almost a repulsion, the repulsion not of distaste,
   but of sublime modesty.
   As it is written, Liber LXV.ii.59. I have called unto Thee, and I
   have journeyed unto Thee, and it availed me not. 60. I waited
   patiently, and Thou wast with me from the beginning.
   Then let him change back to the Active, until a veritable rhythm is
   established between the states, as it were the swinging of a
   Pendulum. But let him reflect that a vast intelligence is required
   for this; for he must stand as it were almost without himself to
   watch those phases of himself, And to do this is a high Art, and
   pertaineth not altoge ther to the grade of Philosohus. Neither is
   it of itself helpful, but rather the reverse, in this especial
   practice.

26. Concerning silence. Now there may come a time in the course of this
   practice when the outward symbols of devotion cease, when the soul
   is as it were dumb in the presence of its God. Mark that this is
   not a cessation, but a transmutation of the barren seed of prayer
   into the green shoot of yearning. This yearning is spontaneous, and
   it shall be left to grow, whether it be sweet or bitter. For often
   times it is as the torment of hell in which the soul burns and
   writhes unceasingly. Yet it ends, and at its end continue openly
   thy Method.

27. Concerning Dryness. Another state wherein at times the soul may
   fall is this dark night. And this is indeed purifying in such
   depths that the soul cannot fathom it. It is less like pain than
   like death. But it is the necessary death that comes before the
   rising of a body glorified.
   This state must be endured with fortitude; and no means of
   alleviating it may be employed. It may be broken up by the breaking
   up of the whole Method, and a return to the world without. This
   cowardice not only destroys the value of all that has gone before,
   but destroys the value of the Oath of Fealty that thou hast sworn,
   and makes thy Will a mockery to men and gods.

28. Concerning the Deceptions of the Devil. Note well that in this
   state of dryness a thousand seductions will lure thee away; also a
   thousand means of breaking thine oath in spirit without breaking it
   in letter. Against this thou mayst repeat the words of thine oath
   aloud again and again until the temptation be overcome.
   Also the devil will represent to thee that it were much better for
   this operation that thou do thus and thus, and seek to affright
   thee by fears for thy health or thy reason.
   Or he may send against thee visions worse than madness.
   Against all this there is but one remedy, the Discipline of thine
   Oath. So then thou shalt go through ceremonies meaningless and
   hideous to thee, and blaspheme shalt thou against thy Deity and
   curse Him. And this mattereth little, for it is not thou, so be
   that thou adhere to the Letter of thine Obligation. For thy
   Spiritual Sight is closed, and to trust it is to be led unto the
   precipice, and hurled therefrom.

29. Further of this matter. Now also subtler than all these terrors are
   the Illusions of Success. For one instant's {WEH NOTE: Magick in
   Theory and Practice has "But one instant's..."} self-satisfaction
   or Expansion of thy Spirit, especially in this state of dryness,
   and thou art lost. For thou mayst attain the False Union with the
   Demon himself. Beware also of even the pride which rises from
   having resisted the temptations.
   But so many and so subtle are the wiles of Choronzon that the whole
   world could not contain their enumeration.
   The answer to one and all is the persistence in the literal
   fulfilment of the routine. Beware, then, last, of that devil {49}
   who shall whisper in thine ear that the letter killeth, but the
   spirit giveth life, and answer: Except a corn of wheat fall into
   the ground, and die, it abideth alone, but if it die, it bringeth
   forth much fruit.
   Yet shalt thou also beware of disputation with the devil, and pride
   in the cleverness of thine answers to him. Therefore, if thou hast
   not lost the power of silence, let it be first and last employed
   against him.

30. Concerning the Enflaming of the Heart. Now learn that thy methods
   are dry, one and all. Intellectual exercises, moral exercises, they
   are not Love. Yet as a man, rubbing two dry sticks together for
   long, suddenly found a spark, so also from time to time will true
   love leap unasked into thy mediation. Yet this shall die and be
   reborn again and again. It may be that thou hast no tinder near.
   In the end shall come suddenly a great flame and a devouring, and
   burn thee utterly.
   Now of these sparks, and of these splutterings of flame, and of
   these beginnings of the Infinite Fire, thou shalt thus be aware.
   For the sparks thy heart shall leap up, and thy ceremony or
   meditation or toil shall seem of a sudden to go of its own will;
   and for the little flames this shall be increased in volume and
   intensity; and for the beginnings of the Infinite Fire thy ceremony
   shall be caught up unto ravishing song, and thy meditation shall be
   ecstasy, and thy toil shall be a delight exceeding all pleasure
   thou hast ever known.
   And of the Great Flame that answereth thee it may not be spoken;
   for therein is the End of this Magick Art of Devotion.

31. Considerations with regard to the use of symbols. It is to be noted
   that persons of powerful imagination, will, and intelligence have
   no need of these material symbols. There have been certain saints
   who are capable of love for an idea as such without it being
   otherwise than degraded by "idolising" it, to use this word in its
   true sense. Thus one may be impassioned of beauty, without even the
   need of so small a concretion of it as "The beauty of Apollo", the
   "beauty of roses", the "beauty of Attis". Such persons are rare; it
   may be doubted whether Plato himself attained to any vision of
   absolute beauty without attaching to it material objects in the
   first place. A second class is able to contemplate ideals through
   this veil; a third class need a double veil, and cannot think of
   the beauty of a rose without a rose before them. For such is this
   Method of most use; yet let them know that there is this danger
   therein, that they may mistake the gross body of the symbol for the
   idea made concrete thereby.

32. Considerations of further danger to those not purged of material
   thought. Let it be remembered that in the nature of the love itself
   is danger. The lust of the satyr for the nymph is indeed of the
   same nature as the affinity of Quicklime for water on the one hand,
   and of love of Ab for Ama on the other; so also is the triad
   Osiris, Isis, Horus like that of a horse, mare, foal, and of red,
   blue, purple. And this is the foundation of Correspondences.
   But it were false to say "Horus is a foal" or "Horus is purple".
   One may say: "Horus resembles a foal in this respect, that he is
   the offspring of two complementary beings".

33. Further of this matter. So also many have said truly that all is
   one, and falsely that since earth is That One, and ocean is That
   One, therefore earth is ocean. Unto Him good is illusion, and evil
   is illusion; therefore good is evil. By this fallacy of logic are
   many men destroyed.
   Moreover, there are those who take the image for the God; as who
   should say, my heart is in Tiphereth, and an Adeptus is in
   Tiphereth; I am therefore an adept.
   And in this practice the worst danger is this, that the love which
   is its weapon should fail in one of two ways.
   First, if the love lack any quality of love, so long is it not
   ideal love. For it is written of the Perfected One: "There is no
   member of my body which is not the member of some god." Therefore
   let not the Philosophus despise any form of love, but harmonise
   all. As it is written: Liber LXV, 32. "So therefore Perfection
   abideth not in the Pinnacles or in the Foundation, but in the
   harmony of One with all."
   Second, if any part of this love exceed, there is disease therein.
   As, in the love of Othello for Desdemona, love's jealousy overcame
   love's tenderness, so may it be in this love of a particular Deity.
   And this is more likely, since in this divine love no element may
   be omitted.
   It is by virtue of this completeness that no human love may in any
   way attain to more than to foreshadow a little part thereof.

34. Concerning Mortifications. These are not necessary to this method.
   On the contrary, they may destroy the concentration, as
   counter-irritants to, and so alleviations of, the supreme
   mortification which is the Absence of the Deity invoked.
   Yet as in mortal love arises a distaste for food, or a pleasure in
   things naturally painful, this perversion should be endured and
   allowed to take its course. Yet not to the interference with
   natural bodily health, whereby the instrument of the soul might be
   impaired.
   And concerning sacrifices for love's sake, they are natural to this
   Method, and right.
   But concerning voluntary privations and tortures, without use save
   as against the devotee, they are generally not natural to healthy
   natures, and wrong. For they are selfish. To scourge one's self
   serves not one's master; yet to deny one's self bread that one's
   child may have cake is the act of a true mother.

35. Further concerning Mortifications. If thy body, on which thou
   ridest, be so disobedient a beast that by no means will he travel
   in the desired direction, or if thy mind be baulkish and eloquent
   as Balaam's fabled Ass, then let the practice be abandoned. Let the
   shrine be covered in sackcloth, and do thou put on habits of
   lamentation, and abide alone. And do thou return most austerely to
   the practice of Liber Jugorum, testing thyself by a standard higher
   than that hitherto accomplished, and punishing effractions with a
   heavier goad. Nor do thou return to thy devotion until that body
   and mind are tamed and trained to all manner of peaceable going.

36. Concerning minor methods adjuvant in the ceremonies. I. Rising on
   the planes. By this method mayst thou assist the imagination at the
   time of concluding thine Invocation. Act as taught in Liber O, by
   the light of Liber 777.

37. Concerning minor methods adjuvant in the ceremonies. II. Talismanic
   Magic. Having made by thine Ingenium a talisman or pantacle to
   represent the particular Deity, and consecrated it with infinite
   love and care, do thou burn it ceremonially before the shrine, as
   if thereby giving up the shadow for the substance. But it is
   useless to do this unless thou do really in thine heart value the
   talisman beyond all else that thou hast.

38. Concerning minor methods adjuvant in the ceremonies. III.
   Rehearsal. It may assist if the traditional history of the
   particular Deity be rehearsed before him; perhaps this is best done
   in dramatic form. This method is the main one recommended in the
   "Exercitios Espirituales" of St Ignatius, whose work may be taken
   as a model. Let the Philosophus work out the legend of his own
   particular Deity, and apportioning days to events, live that life
   in imagination, exercising the five senses in turn, as occasion
   arises.

39. Concerning minor matters adjuvant in the ceremonies. IV. Duresse.
   This method consists in cursing a deity recalcitrant; as,
   threatening ceremonially "to burn the blood of Osiris, and to grind
   down his bones to power." This method is altoge ther contrary to the
   spirit of love unless the particular Deity be himself savage and
   relentless; as Jehovah or Kali. In such a case the desire to
   perform constraint and cursing may be the sign of the assimilation
   of the spirit of the devotee with that of his God, and so an
   advance to the Union with HIm.

40. Concerning the value of this particular form of Union or Samadhi.
   All Samadhi is defined as the ecstatic union of a subject and
   object in consciousness, with the result that a third thing arises
   which partakes in no way of the nature of the two.
   It would seem at first sight that it is of no importance whatever
   to choose an object of meditation. For example, the Samadhi called
   Atmadarshana might arise from simple concentration of the thought
   on an imagined triangle, or on the heart.
   But as the union of two bodies in chemistry may be endothermic or
   exothermic, the combination of Oxygen with Nitrogen is gentle,
   while that of Oxygen with Hydrogen is explosive; and as it is found
   that the most heat is disengaged as a rule by the union of bodies
   most opposite in character, and that the compound resulting from
   such is most stable, so it seems reasonable to suggest that the
   most important and enduring Samadhi results from the contemplation
   of the Object most pposite to the devotee. [On other planes, it has
   been suggested that the most opposed types make the best marriages
   and produce the healthiest children. The greatest pictures and
   operas are those in which violent extremes are blended, and so
   generally in every field of activity. Even in mathematics, the
   greatest parallelogram is formed if the lines composing it are set
   at right angles. ED.]

41. Conclusions from the foregoing. It may then be suggested to the
   Philosophus, that although his work will be harder his reward will
   be greater if he choose a Deity most remote from his own nature.
   This method is harder and higher than that of Liber E. For a simple
   object as there suggested is of the same nature as the commonest
   things of life, while even the meanest Deity is beyond uninitiated
   human understanding. On the same plane, too, Venus is nearer to man
   than Aphrodite, Aphrodite than Isis, Isis than Babalon, Babalon
   than Nuit.
   Let him decide therefore according to his discretion on the one
   hand and his aspiration on the other; and let not one outrun his
   fellow.

42. Further concerning the value of this Method. Certain objections
   arise. Firstly, in the nature of all human love is illusion, and a
   certain blindness. Nor is there any true love below the Veil of the
   Abyss. For this reason we give this method to the Philosohus, as
   the reflection of the Exempt Adept, who reflects the Magister
   Templi and the Magus. Let then the Philosophus attain this Method
   as a foundation of the higher Methods to be given to him when he
   attains those higher grades.
   Another objection lies in the partiality of this Method. This is
   equally a defect characteristic of the Grade.

43. Concerning a notable danger of Success. It may occur that owing to
   the tremendous power of the Samadhi, overcoming all other memories
   as it should and does do, that the mind of the devotee may be
   obsessed, so that he declare his particular Deity to be sole God
   and Lord. This error has been the foundation of all dogmatic
   religions, and so the cause of more misery than all other errors
   combined.
   The Philosophus is peculiarly liable to this because from the
   nature of the Method he cannot remain sceptical; he must for the
   time believe in his particular Deity. But let him (1) consider that
   this belief is only a weapon in his hands, (2) affirm sufficiently
   that his Deity is but an emanation or reflection or eidolon of a
   Being beyond him, as was said in Paragraph 2. For if he fail
   herein, since man cannot remain permanently in Samadhi, the
   memorised Image in his mind will be degraded, and replaced by the
   corresponding Demon, to his utter ruin.
   Therefore, after Success, let him not delight overmuch in his
   Deity, but rather busy himself with his other work, not permitting
   that which is but a step to become a goal. As it is written also,
   Liber CLXXXV.: "remembering that Philosophy is the Equilibrium of
   him that is in the House of Love."

44. Concerning the secrecy and the rites of Blood. During this practice
   it is most wise that the Philosophus utter no word concerning his
   working, as if it were a Forbidden Love that consumeth him. But let
   him answer fools according to their folly; for since he cannot
   conceal his love from his fellows, he must speak to them as they
   may understand.
   And as many Deities demand sacrifice, one of men, another of
   cattle, a third of doves, let these sacrifices be replaced by the
   true sacrifices in thine own heart. Yet if thou must symbolise them
   outwardly for the hardness of thine heart, let thine own blood, and
   not another's, be spilt before that altar. [The exceptions to this
   rule pertain neither to this practice, nor to this grade. N. Fra.
   A.. A...]
   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 understood that
   nothing is to be spoken; nor need anything be spoken to him that
   hath wisdom to comprehend the number of the paragraph. And this
   sacrifice is fatal beyond all, unless it be a sacrifice indeed. Yet
   there are those who have dared and achieved thereby.

46. Concerning yet a further sacrifice. Here it is spoken of actual
   mutilation. Such acts are abominable; and while they may bring
   success in this Method, form an absolute bar to all 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 all others, and in this case thou
   mayst act with temperance, 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 Benediction. And so may the love that passeth all Understanding
   keep your hearts and minds through Iota-Alpha-Omega
   Alpha-Delta-Omicron-Nu-Alpha-Iota Sigma-Alpha-Beta-Alpha-Omega and
   through BABALON of the City of the Pyramids, and through Astarte,
   the Starry One green-girdled, in the name ARARITA. AMN.





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