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Dogme et Rituel de la Haute Magie
Translated by A. E. Waite
--------------------------------------- 2
Dogme et Rituel de la Haute Magie
Part I: The Dotrine o! Transendental Magi
"y Eli#has $e%i &Al#honse $ouis 'onstant(
Translated by A. E. Waite.
)riginally #ublished by Rider * 'om#any+ England+ ,/.
Transribed and on%erted to Adobe Arobat !ormat by "en0amin Ro1e+
une+
233,.
Ty#eset in "auer "odoni and Waters Titling.
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Part I:
The Dotrine o!
Transendental
Magi
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I7TR)D8'TI)7
"EHI7D the %eil o! all the hierati and mystial allegories o! anient
dotrines+
behind the dar9ness and strange ordeals o! all initiations+ under the
seal o! all
sared 1ritings+ in the ruins o! 7ine%eh or Thebes+ on the rumbling
stones o! old
tem#les and on the bla9ened %isage o! the Assyrian or Egy#tian s#hin+
in the
monstrous or mar%ellous #aintings 1hih inter#ret to the !aith!ul o!
India the
ins#ired #ages o! the ;edas+ in the ry#ti emblems o! our old boo9s on
alhemy+
in the eremonies #ratised at ree#tion by all seret soieties+ thereare !ound
indiations o! a dotrine 1hih is e%ery1here the same and e%ery1here
are!ully
onealed. )ult #hiloso#hy seems to ha%e been the nurse or god-mother
o! all
intelletual !ores+ the 9ey o! all di%ine obsurities and the absolute
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and o! 9ings. It reigned in Persia 1ith the Magi+ 1ho #erished in the
end+ as #erish
all masters o! the 1orld+ beause they abused their #o1er> it endo1ed
India 1ith
the most 1onder!ul traditions and 1ith an inredible 1ealth o! #oesy+
grae and
terror in its emblems> it i%ili?ed @reee to the musi o! the lyre o!
)r#heus> it
onealed the #rini#les o! all sienes+ all #rogress o! the human
mind+ in the
daring alulations o! Pythagoras> !able abounded in its mirales+ and
history+
attem#ting to estimate this un9no1n #o1er+ beame on!used 1ith !able>
it
undermined or onsolidated em#ires by its orales+ aused tyrants to
tremble on
their thrones and go%erned all minds+ either by uriosity or by !ear.
or this si-
ene+ said the ro1d+ there is nothing im#ossible+ it ommands the
elements+
9no1s the language o! the stars and direts the #lanetary ourses> 1henit s#ea9s+
the moon !alls blood-red !rom hea%en> the dead rise in their gra%es and
mutter
ominous 1ords+ as the night 1ind blo1s thrugh their s9ulls. Mistro ess
o! lo%e or o!
hate+ oult siene an dis#ense #aradise or hell at its #leasure to
human hearts>
it dis#oses o! all !orms and on!ers beauty or ugliness> 1ith the 1and
o! 'ire it
hanges men into brutes and animals alternately into men> it dis#oses
e%en o! li!e
and death+ an on!er 1ealth on its ade#ts by the transmutation o!
metals and
immortality by its
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2 The Dotrine o! Transendental Magi
and abominable ban
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an initiated in!idel o! the oult sienes. There is also another
1or9+ but+
although it is #o#ular in a sense and may be !ound e%ery1here+ this is
o! all most
oult and un9no1n+ beause it is the 9ey o! the rest. It is in #ubli
e%idene 1ith-
out being 9no1n to the #ubli> no one sus#ets its eistene and no one
dreams o!
see9ing it 1here it atually is. This boo9+ 1hih may be older than
that o! Enoh+
atually has ne%er been translated+ but is still #reser%ed unmutilated
in #rime%al
haraters+ on detahed lea%es+ li9e the tablets o! the anients. The
!at has
eluded notie+ though a distinguished sholar has re%ealed+ not indeed
its seret+
but its anti
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to a reoniliation o! siene and dogma+ o! reason and !aith+
hereto!ore regarded
as im#ossible.
We ha%e said that the 'hurh+ 1hose s#eial o!!ie is the ustody o!
the Geys+
does not #retend to #ossess those o! the A#oaly#se or o! E?e9iel. In
the o#inion o!
'hristians the sienti!i and magial 'la%i les o! Bolomon are lost+
1hih not1ith-
standing+ it is ertain that+ in the domain o! intelligene+ ruled by
the Word noth-
ing that has been 1ritten an #erish. Whatsoe%er men ease to
understand eists
!or them no longer+ at least in the order o! the Word+ and it #asses
then into the
domain o! enigma and mystery. urthermore+ the anti#athy and e%en o#en
1ar o!
the )!!iial 'hurh against all that belongs to the realm o! Magi+
1hih is a 9ind
o! #ersonal and emani#ated #riesthood+ is allied 1ith neessary and
e%en 1ithinherent auses in the soial and hierarhi onstitution o! 'hristian
saerdotal-
ism. The 'hurh ignores Magi = !or she must either ignore it or
#erish+ as 1e
shall #ro%e later on> yet she does not reogni?e the less that her
mysterious
ounder 1as saluted in His radle by Three Magi = that is to say+ by
the hierati
ambassadors o! the three #arts o! the 9no1n 1orld and the three
analogial
1orlds o! oult #hiloso#hy. In the Bhool o! Aleandria+ Magi and
'hristianity
almost 0oined hands under the aus#ies o! Ammonius Baas and o! Plato>
the
dotrine o! Hermes is !ound almost in its entirety in the 1ritings
attributed to
Dionysius the Areo#agite> Bynesius outlined the #lan o! a treatise on
dreams+
1hih 1as annotated subse but 1hat most #eo#le do not 9no1 is that he 1as one o! the
illuminated
and an initiate o! the !irst order: that he belie%ed in the unity o!
@od and in the
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---------------------------------------
5 The Dotrine o! Transendental Magi
uni%ersal dotrine o! the Trinity> that+ in a 1ord+ he regretted
nothing o! the old
1orld but its magni!ient symbols and its too graious images. ulian
1as not a
#agan> he 1as a @nosti allured by the allegories o! @ree9 #olytheism+
1ho had
the mis!ortune to !ind the name o! esus 'hrist less sonorous than that
o!
)r#heus. The Em#eror #aid in his #erson !or the aademial tastes o!
the #hiloso-
#her and rhetoriian+ and a!ter a!!ording himsel! the s#etale and
satis!ation o!
e#iring li9e E#aminondas 1ith the #eriods o! 'ato+ he had in #ubli
o#inion+ by
this time !ully 'hristiani?ed + but anathemas !or his !uneral orationand a sorn!ul
e#ithet !or his ultimate memorial.
$et us #ass o%er the #etty minds and small matters o! the "as-Em#ire+
and
#roeed to the Middle Ages . . . . Btay+ ta9e this boo9 @lane at the
se%enth #age+
then seat yoursel! on the mantle 1hih I am s#reading+ and let eah o!
us o%er
our eyes 1ith one o! its orners . . . . Jour head s1ims+ does it not+
and the earth
seems to !ly beneath your !eetK Hold tightly+ and do not loo9 right or
le!t . . . .
The %ertigo eases: 1e are here. Btand u# and o#en your eyes+ but ta9e
are
be!ore all things to ma9e no 'hristian sign and to #ronoune no
'hristian 1ords.
We are in a landsa#e o! Bal%ator Rosa+ a troubled 1ilderness 1hih
seems resting
a!ter a storm. There is no moon in the s9y+ but you an distinguish
little stars
gleaming in the brush1ood+ and may hear about you the slo1 !light o!
great
birds+ 1hih seem to 1his#er strange orales as they #ass. $et us
a##roah
silently that rossroad among the ro9s. A harsh+ !unereal trum#et
1inds sud-
denly+ and bla9 torhes !lare u# on e%ery side. A tumultuous throng issurging
round a %aant throne: all 1ath and 1ait. Buddenly they ast
themsel%es on the
ground. A goat-headed #rine bounds !or1ard among them> he asends the
throne+ turns+ and assuming a stoo#ing #osture+ #resents to the
assembly a human
!ae+ 1hih e%eryone omes !or1ard to salute and to 9iss+ their bla9
ta#er in
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their hands. With a hoarse laugh he reo%ers an u#right #osition+ and
then dis-
tributes gold+ seret instrutions+ oult mediines and #oisons to his
!aith!ul
bondsmen. Mean1hile+ !ires are lighted o! !ern and alder+ #iled u# 1ith
human
bones and the !at o! eeuted riminals. Druidesses+ ro1ned 1ith 1ild
#arsley
and %er%ain+ immolate unba#ti?ed hildren 1ith golden 9ni%es and
#re#are horri-
ble lo%e-!easts. Tables are s#read+ mas9ed men seat themsel%es by hal!-
nude
!emales+ and a "ahanalian orgy begins> there is nothing 1anting but
salt+ the
symbol o! 1isdom and immortality. Wine !lo1s in streams+ lea%ing stains
li9e
blood> obsene ad%anes and abandoned aresses begin. A little 1hile+
and the
1hole assembly is beside itsel! 1ith drin9 and 1antonness+ 1ith rimes
and sing-
ing. They rise+ a disordered throng+ and !orm in!ernal danes . . . .Then ome all
legendary monsters+ all #hantoms o! nightmare> enormous toads #lay
in%erted
!lutes and thum# 1ith #a1s on !lan9s> lim#ing sarabaei mingle in the
dane>
rabs #lay the astanets> roodiles beat time on their sales>
ele#hants and mam-
moths a##ear habited li9e 'u#ids and !oot it in the ring: !inally+ the
giddy irles
---------------------------------------
I7TR)D8'TI)7 6
brea9 u# and satter on all sides . . . . E%ery yelling daner drags
a1ay a dishe%-
elled !emale . . . . $am#s and andles !ormed o! human !at go out
smo9ing in the
dar9ness . . . . 'ries are heard here and there+ mingled 1ith #eals o!
laughter+
blas#hemies and rattlings in the throat. 'ome+ rouse yoursel!: do not
ma9e the
sign o! the ross Bee+ I ha%e brought you home. Jou are in your bed+
not a little
1orn out+ #ossibly a tri!le shattered+ by your nightLs 0ourney and its
orgy> but youha%e beheld that o! 1hih e%eryone tal9s 1ithout 9no1ledge> you ha%e
been initi-
ated into serets no less terrible than the grotto o! Tri#honius> you
ha%e been
#resent at the Babbath. It remains !or you no1 to #reser%e your 1its+
to ha%e a
1holesome dread o! the la1+ and to 9ee# at a res#et!ul distane !rom
the 'hurh
and her !aggots.
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Would you are+ as a hange+ to behold something less !antasti+ more
real and
also more truly terribleK Jou shall assist at the eeution o! a
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#ersist in regarding him as a more #otent sorerer than all beause he
1as some-
--------------------------------------- ,3
/ The Dotrine o! Transendental Magi
times a yni and mysti!ier. What seret do these men bear 1ith them to
their
tombK Why are they 1ondered at 1ithout being understoodK Why are they
on-
demned unheardK Why are they initiates o! those terri!i seret
sienes o! 1hih
the 'hurh and soiety are a!raidK Why ar e they a
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al !orms o! the "iblial s#hin+ the 'herubim o! E?e9iel . . . . Here
I must #ause+
and I !ear that already I ha%e said too muh. I testi!y in !ine that
there is one sole+
uni%ersal and im#erishable dogma+ strong as su#reme reason> sim#le+
li9e all that
is great> intelligible+ li9e all that is uni%ersally and absolutely
true> and this dogma
is the #arent o! all others. There is also a siene 1hih on!ers on
man #o1ers
a##arently su#erhuman. They are enumerated thus in a Hebre1 manusri#t
o!
the siteenth entury:
Hereina!ter !ollo1 the #o1ers and #ri%ileges o! him 1ho holds in his
right hand the 'la%iles o! Bolomon+ and in his le!t the "ranh o! the
"los-
soming Almond. L A$EPH . = He beholds @od !ae to !ae+ 1ithout dying.
and on%erses !amiliarly 1ith the se%en genii 1ho ommand the entire
eles-
tial army. h "ETH . = He is abo%e all grie!s and all !ears. g @HIME$ .
= Hereigns 1ith all hea%en and is ser%ed by all hell. o DA$ETH . = He
rules his
o1n health and li!e and an in!luene e
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on a su#erior !ree 1ill+ or on an undisernible ause. + TBADE . = To
gi%e at
one and to all the most e!!iaious onsolations and the most
1holesome
ounsels. ! G)PH . = To trium#h o%er ad%ersities. 1REBH . = To on to #ro-
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due at night the #henomena o! day> to orres#ond instantaneously
bet1een one
etremity o! the earth and the other> to see+ li9e A#ollonius+ 1hat is
ta9ing #lae
on the other side o! the 1orld> to heal or in0ure at a distane> to
gi%e s#eeh a uni-
%ersal suess and re%erberation. This agent+ 1hih barely mani!ests
under the
unertain methods o! MesmerLs !ollo1ers+ is #reisely that 1hih the
ade#ts o! the
Middle Ages denominated the irst Matter o! the @reat Wor9. The
@nostis re#re-
sented it as the !iery body o! the Holy B#irit> it 1as the ob0et o!
adoration in the
Beret Rites o! the Babbath and the Tem#le+ under the hierogly#hi
!igure o! "a#-
homet or the Androgyne o! Mendes. All this 1ill be #ro%ed.
Here then are the serets o oult #hiloso#hy! + and suh is Magi in
history. $et
us glane at it no1 as it a##ears in its boo9s and its ats+ in its
Initiations and itsRites. The 9ey o! all magial allegories is !ound in the tablets 1hih
1e ha%e men-
tioned+ and these tablets 1e regard as the 1or9 o! Hermes. About this
boo9+
1hih may be alled the 9eystone o! the 1hole edi!ie o! oult
siene+ are
grou#ed innumerable legends that are either its #artial translation or
its ommen-
tary re#rodued #er#etually+ under a thousand %aried !orms. Bometimes
the inge-
nious !ables ombine harmoniously into a great e#i 1hih harateri?es
an
e#oh+ though ho1 or 1hy is not lear to the uninitiated. T hus+ the
!abulous his-
tory o! the @olden leee resumes and also %eils the Hermeti and
magial do-
trines o! )r#heus> and i! 1e reur only to the mysterious #oetry o!
@reee+ it is
beause the santuaries o! Egy#t and India to some etent dismay us by
their
resoures+ lea%ing our hoie embarrassed in the midst o! suh abundant
1ealth.
We are eager+ moreo%er+ to reah the Thebaid at one+ that dread
synthesis o! all
dotrine+ #ast+ #resent and !uture> that = so to s#ea9 = in!inite
!able+ 1hih
reahes+ li9e the Deity o! )r#heus+ to either end o! the yle o! humanli!e.
Etraordinary !at The se%en gates o! Th ebes+ atta9ed and de!ended
by se%en
hie!s 1ho ha%e s1orn u#on the blood o! %itims+ #ossess the same
signi!iane as
the se%en seals o! the Bared "oo9 inter#reted by se%en genii and
assailed by a
monster 1ith se%en heads+ a!ter being o#ened by a $amb 1hih li%eth and
1as
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dead+ in the allegorial 1or9 o! Bt. ohn. The mysterious origin o!
)edi#us+ !ound
hanging on the tree o! 'ithaeron li9e a bleeding !ruit+ realls the
symbols o! Moses
and the narrati%es o! @enesis. He ma9es 1ar u#on his !ather+ 1hom he
slays 1ith-
out 9no1ing = tremendous #ro#hey o! the blind emani#ation o! reason
a#art
!rom siene. Therea!ter he meets 1ith the s#hin+ that symbol o!
symbols+ the
eternal enigma o! the %ulgar+ the granite #edestal o! the sienes o!
the sages+ the
%oraious and silent monster 1hose unhanging !orm e#resses the one
dogma o!
the @reat 8ni%ersal Mystery. Ho1 is the tetrad hanged into the duad and
e#lained by the triadK In more ommon but more emblemati terms+ 1hat
is that
animal 1hih in the morning has !our !eet+ t1o at noon+ and three in
the e%eningK
--------------------------------------- ,4
I7TR)D8'TI)7
Philoso#hially s#ea9ing+ ho1 does the dotrine o! elementary !ores
#rodue the
dualism o! Coroaster+ 1hile it is summari?ed by the triad o! Pythagoras
and
PlatoK What is the ultimate reason o! allegories and numbers+ the !inal
message o!
all symbolismsK )edi#us re#lies 1ith a sim#le and terrible 1ord 1hih
destroys
the s#hin and ma9es the di%iner Ging o! Thebes: the ans1er to the
enigma is
MA7 . . . 8n!ortunate He has seen too muh+ and yet through a louded
glass. A
little 1hile and he 1ill e#iate his ominous and im#er!et lair%oyane
by a %ol-
untary blindness+ and then %anish in the midst o! a storm+ li9e all
i%ili?ations
1hih = eah in its o1n day = shall di%ine an ans1er to the riddle o!
the s#hin
1ithout gras#ing its 1hole im#ort and mystery. E%erything is symbolial
and
transendental in this titani e#i o! human destinies. The t1o
antagonisti broth-
ers !ormulate the seond #art o! the @rand Mystery+ om#leted di%inelyby the
sari!ie o! Antigone. There !ollo1s the last 1ar> the brethren slay
one another>
'a#aneus is destroyed by the lightning 1hih he de!ies> Am#hiaraus is
s1allo1ed
by the earth> and all these are so many allegories 1hih+ by their
truth and their
grandeur+ astonish those 1ho an #enetrate their tri#le hierati sense.
Aeshylus+
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annotated by "allanhe+ gi%es only a 1ea9 notion onerning them+
1hate%er the
#rime%al sublimities o! the @ree9 #oet or the ingenuities o! the renh
riti.
The seret boo9 o! anti
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hal! o! the terrible seret into eile and the gra%e.
A!ter the olossal !able o! )edi#us 1e !ind the graious #oem o!
Psyhe+ 1hih
1as ertainly not in%ented by A#uleius. The @reat Magial Aranum
rea##ears
here under the !igure o! a mysterious union bet1een a god and a 1ea9
mortal+
abandoned alone and na9ed on a ro9. Psyhe must remain in ignorane o!
the
seret o! her ideal royalty+ and i! she behold her husband she must
lose him. Here
A#uleius ommentates and inter#rets Moses> but did not the Elohim o!
Israel and
the gods o! A#uleius both issue !rom the santuaries o! Mem#his and
ThebesK
Psyhe is the sister o! E%e+ or rather she is E%e s#irituali?ed. "oth
desire to 9no1
and lose innoene !or the honour o! the ordeal. "oth deser%e to go
do1n into hell+
one to bring ba9 the anti
but he onlyan use it 1ho understands the neessity o! ne%er re%ealing it. Had
)edi#us+
instead o! 9illing the s#hin+ o%erome it+ harnessed it to his hariot
and thus
entered Thebes+ he 1ould ha%e been 9ing 1ithout inest+ 1ithout
mis!ortunes and
1ithout eile. Had Psyhe+ by mee9ness and a!!etion+ #ersuaded $o%e to
re%eal
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himsel!+ she 1ould ne%er ha%e lost $o%e. 7o1+ $o%e is one o! the
mythologial
images o! the @reat Beret and the @reat Agent+ beause it #ostulates
at one an
ation and a #assion+ a %oid and a #lenitude+ a sha!t and a 1ound. The
initiates
1ill understand me+ and on aount o! the #ro!ane I must not s#ea9 more
learly.
A!ter the mar%ellous @olden Ass o! A#uleius+ 1e !ind no more magial
e#is.
Biene+ on
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anient Egy#tians+ had also its eoteriism and its %eils. When Moses
s#o9e to the
#eo#le+ says the sared boo9 allegorially+ he #laed a %eil o%er his
!ae+ and he
remo%ed it 1hen ommuning 1ith @od: this aounts !or the alleged
"iblial
absurdities 1hih so eerised the satirial #o1ers o! ;oltaire. The
boo9s 1ere
1ritten only as memorials o! tradition and in symbols that 1ere
unintelligible to
the #ro!ane. The Pentateuh and the #oems o! the #ro#hets 1ere+
moreo%er+ ele-
mentary 1or9s+ ali9e in dotrine+ ethis and liturgy> the true seret
and tradi-
tional #hiloso#hy 1as not ommitted to 1riting until a later #eriod and
under
%eils e%en less trans#arent. Thus arose a seond and un9no1n "ible+ or
rather one
1hih 1as not om#rehended by 'hristians+ a storehouse+ so they say+ o!
mon-
strous absurdities = !or in this ase belie%ers+ in%ol%ed by the sameignorane+
s#ea9 the language o! se#tis = but a monument+ as 1e a!!irm+ 1hih
om#rises
all that #hiloso#hial and religious genius has e%er aom#lished or
imagined in
the sublime order+ a treasure enom#assed by thorns+ a diamond
onealed in a
rude and o#a
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a #hiloso#hy sim#le as the al#habet+ #ro!ound and in!inite as the Word>
theorems
more om#lete and luminous than those o! Pythagoras> a theology 1hih
may be
summed u# on the !ingers> an in!inite 1hih an be held in the hollo1
o! an
in!antLs hand> ten !igures and t1enty-t1o letters+ a triangle+ a s
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#rehends t1o things+ a siene and a !ore: 1ithout the !or e the
siene is noth-
ing+ or rather it is a danger. To gi%e 9no1ledge to #o1er alone+ suh
is the
su#reme la1 o! initiations. Hene did the @reat Re%ealer say: NThe
9ingdom o!
hea%en su!!ereth %iolene+ and the %iolent only shall arry it a1ay.L
The door o!
truth is losed+ li9e the santuary o! a %irgin: he must be a man 1ho
1ould enter.
All mirales are #romised to !aith+ and 1hat is !aith ee#t the
audaity o! 1ill
1hih does not hesitate in the dar9ness+ but ad%anes to1ards the light
in s#ite o!
all ordeals+ and surmounting all obstalesK It is unneessary to re#eat
here the
history o! anient initiations: the more dangerous and terrible they
1ere+ the
greater 1as their e!!iay. Hene+ in those days+ the 1orld had men to
go%ern and
instrut it. The Baerdotal Art and the Royal Art onsisted abo%e allin ordeals o!
--------------------------------------- ,
I7TR)D8'TI)7 ,4
ourage+ disretion and 1ill. It 1as a no%itiate similar to that o!
those #riests 1ho+
under the name o! esuits+ are so un#o#ular at the #resent day+ but
1ould go%ern
the 1orld not1ithstanding+ had they a truly 1ise and intelligent hie!.
A!ter #assing our li!e in the searh !or the Absolute in religion+
siene and 0us-
tie> a!ter re%ol%ing in the irle o! aust+ 1e ha%e reahed the
#rimal dotrine
and the !irst boo9 o! humanity. At this #oint 1e #ause+ ha%ing
diso%ered the
seret o! human omni#otene and inde!inite #rogress+ the 9ey o! all
symbolisms+
the !irst and !inal dotrine: 1e ha%e ome to understand 1hat 1as meant
by that
e#ression so o!ten made use o! in the @os#el = the Gingdom o! @od.
To #ro%ide a !ied #oint as a !ulrum !or human ati%ity is to sol%e
the #roblem
o! Arhimedes+ by reali?ing the use o! his !amous le%er. This it is
1hih 1asaom#lished by the great initiators 1ho ha%e eletri!ied the 1orld+
and they
ould not ha%e done so ee#t by means o! the @reat and Inommuniable
Beret.
Ho1e%er+ as a guarantee o! its rene1ed youth+ the symbolial #hoeni
ne%er rea#-
#eared be!ore the eyes o! the 1orld 1ithout ha%ing onsumed solemnly
the
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remains and e%idenes o! its #re%ious li!e. Bo also Moses sa1 to it
that all those
1ho had 9no1n Egy#t and her mysteries should end their li!e in the
desert> at
E#hesus Bt. Paul burnt all boo9s 1hih treated o! the oult sienes>
and in !ine+
the renh Re%olution+ daughter o! the great ohannite )rient and the
ashes o!
the Tem#lars+ s#oliated the hurhes and blas#hemed the allegories o!
the Di%ine
'ultus. "ut all dotrines and all re%i%als #rosribe Magi and ondemn
its myster-
ies to the !lames and to obli%ion. The reason is that eah religion or
#hiloso#hy
1hih omes into the 1orld is a "en0amin o! humanity and insures its
o1n li!e by
destroying its mother. It is beause the symbolial ser#ent turns e%er
de%ouring its
o1n tail> it is beause+ as essential ondition o! eistene+ a %oid is
neessary to
e%ery #lenitude+ s#ae !or e%ery dimension+ an a!!irmation !or eahnegation:
herein is the eternal reali?ation o! the #hoeni allegory.
T1o illustrious sholars ha%e #reeded me along the #ath that I am
tra%elling+
but they ha%e+ so to s#ea9+ s#ent the dar9 night therein. I re!er to
;olney and
Du#uis+ to Du#uis abo%e all+ 1hose immense erudition #rodued only a
negati%e
1or9+ !or in the origin o! all religions he sa1 nothing but astronomy+
ta9ing thus
the symboli yle !or dotrine and the alendar !or legend. He 1as
de!iient in
one branh o! 9no1ledge+ that o! true Magi 1hih om#rises the serets
o! the
Gabalah. Du#uis #assed through the anti
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ranorous and !anatial dotors o! his #eriod #ermitted him to
understand it. or
us the Tem#le has t1o Pillars+ on one o! 1hih 'hristianity has
insribed its
name. We ha%e there!ore no 1ish to atta9 'hristianity : !ar !rom it+
1e see9 to
e#lain and aom#lish it. Intelligene and 1ill ha%e eerised
alternately their
#o1er in the 1orld> religion and #hiloso#hy are still at 1ar 1ith one
another+ but
they must end in agreement. The #ro%isional ob0et o! 'hristianity 1as
to estab-
lish+ by obediene and !aith+ a su#ernatural or religious e
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dotrine in its entirety> the other is onserated to the ultus+ that
is+ to 'eremo-
nial Magi. The one is that 1hih the anient sages termed the
'la%ile+ the other
that 1hih #eo#le on the ountry-side still all the @rimoire. The
numbers and
sub0ets o! the ha#ters 1hih orres#ond in both #arts+ are in no
sense arbitrary+
and are all indiated in the great uni%ersal 9ey+ o! 1hih 1e gi%e !or
the !irst time
a om#lete and ade it is !inished+ and 1e belie%e
it to be
enduring+ beause it is strong+ li9e all that is reasonable and
onsientious.
E$IPHAB $E;I .
--------------------------------------- ,
I L A
THE 'A7DIDA TE
DIB'IP$I7A E7B)PH GETHERI
WHE7 a #hiloso#her ado#ted as the basis !or a ne1 a#oaly#se o! human
1isdom
the aiom: I thin9+ there!ore I amF+ in a measure he altered
unonsiously+ !rom
the stand#oint o! 'hristian Re%elation+ the old one#tion o! the
Bu#reme "eing. I
am that I am+ said the "eing o! beings o! Moses. I amhe 1ho thin9s+
says the man
o! Desartes+ and to thin9 being to s#ea9 in1ardly+ suh a one may
a!!irm+ li9e
the @od o! Bt. ohn the E%angelist: I am he in 1hom and by 1hom the
1ord man-
i!ests = In #rini#io eras %erbum. 7o1+ 1hat is this #rini#leK It is a
ground1or9
o! s#eeh+ it is a reason !or the eistene o! the 1ord. The essene o!
the 1ord is in
the #rini#le> the #rini#le is that 1hih is> intelligene is a
#rini#le 1hih
s#ea9s. What !urther is intelletual lightK It is s#eeh. What is
re%elationK It is
s#eeh also+ being is the #rini#le+ s#eeh is the means+ and the
#lenitude or
de%elo#ment and #er!etion o! being is the end. To s#ea9 is to reate."ut to say:
I thin9+ there!ore I eistF+ is to argue !rom onse
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e#erimental #hiloso#hy. I AM+ THERE)RE "EI7@ EQIBTB . Ego sum
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man 1ho lo%es his o1n o#inions and !ears to #art 1ith them+ 1ho
sus#ets ne1
truths+ 1ho is un#re#ared to doubt e%erything rather than admit
anything on
hane+ should lose this boo9: !or him it is useless and dangerous. He
1ill !ail to
understand it+ and it 1ill trouble him+ 1hile i! he should di%ine the
meaning+ there
1ill be a still greater soure o! dis i! your 1ill be unertain and
%aillating+
either in good or e%il> i! logi alarm you+ or the na9ed truth ma9e you
blush> i!
you are hurt 1hen ae#ted errors are assailed> ondemn this 1or9
straight a1ay.
Do not read it> let it ease to eist !or you> but at the same time do
not ry it do1n
as dangerous. The serets 1hih it reords 1ill be understood by an
elet !e1 and
1ill be reser%ed by those 1ho understand them. Bho1 light to the birdso! the
night-time+ and you hide their light> it is the light 1hih blinds them
and !or them
is dar9er than dar9ness. It !ollo1s that I shall s#ea9 learly and ma9e
9no1n
e%erything+ 1ith the !irm on%ition that initiates alone+ or those 1ho
deser%e ini-
tiation+ 1ill read al l and understand in #art.
There is a true and a !alse siene+ a Di%ine and an In!ernal Magi =
in other
--------------------------------------- 2,
THE 'A7DIDATE 4
1ords+ one 1hih is delusi%e and tenebrous. It is our tas9 to re%eal
the one and to
un%eil the other+ to distinguish the magiian !rom the sorerer and the
ade#t !rom
the harlatan. The magiian a%ails himsel! o! a !ore 1hih he 9no1s+
the sorerer
see9s to misuse that 1hih he does not understand. I! it be #ossible in
a sienti!i
1or9 to em#loy a term so %ulgar and so disredited+ then the de%il
gi%es himsel! to
the magiian and the sorerer gi%es himsel! to the de%il. The magiianis the so%-
ereign #onti!! o! 7ature+ the sorerer is her #ro!aner only. The
sorerer is in the
same relation to the magiian that a su#erstitious and !anatial #erson
bears to a
truly religious man.
"e!ore #roeeding !urther+ let us de!ine Magi in a sentene. Magi is
the tradi-
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tional siene o! the serets o! 7ature 1hih has been transmitted to
us !rom the
Magi.
"y means o! this siene the ade#t is in%ested 1ith a s#eies o!
relati%e omni#-
otene and an o#erate su#erhumanly+ that is+ a!ter a manner 1hih
transends
the normal #ossibility o! men. Thereby many illustrious hiero#hants+
suh as Mer-
urius Trismegistus+ )siris+ )r#heus+ A#ollonius o! Tyana+ and others
1hom it
might be dangerous or un1ise to name+ ame a!ter their death to be
adored and
in%o9ed as gods. Thereby others also = aording to that ebb-and-!lo1
o! o#inion
1hih is res#onsible !or the a#ries o! suess = beame emissaries o!
in!ernus or
sus#eted ad%enturers+ li9e the Em#eror ulian+ A#uleius+ the enhanter
Merlin
and that arh sorerer+ as he 1as termed in his day+ the illustrious
and un!ortunate'ornelius Agri##a.
To attain the BA7'T8M RE@78M + in other 1ords+ the 9no1ledge and #o1er
o!
the Magi+ there are !our indis#ensable onditions = an intelligene
illuminated by
study+ an intre#idity 1hih nothing an he9+ a 1ill 1hih annot be
bro9en+ and
a #rudene 1hih nothing an orru#t and nothing intoiate. T) G7)W+
T) DARE +
T) WI$$+ T) GEEP BI$E7'E = suh are the !our 1ords o! the Magus+
insribed u#on
the !our symbolial !orms o! the s#hin. These maims an be ombined
a!ter
!our manners and e#lained !our times by one another.
)n the !irst #age o! the "oo9 o! Hermes the ade#t is de#ited 1ith a
large hat+
1hih+ i! turned do1n+ 1ould oneal his entire head. )ne hand is
raised to1ards
hea%en+ 1hih he seems to ommand 1ith his 1and+ 1hile the other is
#laed
u#on his breast> be!ore him are the hie! symbols or instruments o!
siene+ and
he has others hidden in a 0ugglerLs 1allet. His body and arms !orm the
letter
A$EPH + the !irst o! that al#habet 1hih the e1s borro1ed !rom the
Egy#tians: to
this symbol 1e shall ha%e oasion to reur later on.The Magus is truly that 1hih the Hebre1 Gabalists term Miro#roso#us
= oth-
er1ise+ the reator o! the little 1orld. The !irst o! all magial
sienes being the
9no1ledge o! oneLs sel!+ so is oneLs o1n reation !irst o! all 1or9s o!
siene> it
om#rehends the others and is the beginning o! the @reat Wor9. The
e#ression+
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ho1e%er+ re
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iousnessK Do you onsent to #leasure only 1hen you 1ill+ and do you
1ish !or it
only 1hen you shouldK 7o+ is it not soK 7ot at least in%ariably+ but
this may ome
to #ass i! you hoose. The s#hin has not only a manLs head+ it has
1omanLs
breasts> do you 9no1 ho1 to resist !eminine harmsK 7o+ is it not soK
And you
laugh outright in re#lying+ #arading your moral 1ea9ness !or the
glori!iation o!
your #hysial and %ital !ore. "e it so: I allo1 you to render this
homage to the ass
o! Bterne or A#uleius. The ass has its merit+ I agree> it 1as
onserated to Pria#us
as 1as the goat to the god o! Mendes. "ut ta9e it !or 1hat it is 1orth+
and deide
1hether ass or man shall be master. He alone an #ossess truly the
#leasure o!
lo%e 1ho has on master your desires andyou 1ill
enhain her. The greatest in0ury that an be in!lited on a man is to
all him a
o1ard. 7o1+ 1hat is a o1ardly #ersonK )ne 1ho neglets his moral
dignity in
order to obey blindly the instints o! 7ature. As a !at+ in the
#resene o! danger it
is natural to be a!raid and see9 !light: 1hy+ then+ is it shame!ulK
"eause honour
has ereted it into a la1 that 1e must #re!er our duty to our
inlinations or !ears.
--------------------------------------- 24
THE 'A7DIDATE 6
What is honour !rom this #oint o! %ie1K It is a uni%ersal #resentiene
o! immor-
tality and a##reiation o! the means 1hih an lead to it. The last
tro#hy 1hih a
man an 1in !rom death is to trium#h o%er the a##etite !or li!e+ not by
des#air
but by a more ealted ho#e+ 1hih is ontained in !aith+ !or all that
is noble and
honest+ by the undi%ided onsent o! the 1orld. To learn sel!-on
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death. E%ery man 1ho is #re#ared to die rather than renoune truth and
0ustie is
most truly li%ing+ !or immort ality abides in his soul. To !ind or to
!orm suh men
1as the end o! all anient initiations. Pythagoras disi#lined his
#u#ils by silene
and all 9inds o! sel!-denial> andidates in Egy#t 1ere tried by the
!our elements>
and 1e 9no1 the sel!-in!lited austerities o! !a9irs and brahmans in
India !or
attaining the 9ingdom o! !ree 1ill and di%ine inde#endene. All
maerations o!
asetiism are borro1ed !rom the initiations o! the Anient Mysteries>
they ha%e
eased beause those it 1ill laerate your
breast li9e a #on-
iard> it 1ill ran9le in your memory li9e a remorse> it 1ill #eo#le your
imagination
1ith himeras+ and 1ill dri%e you through !olly to des#air. Jou 1illendea%our to
laugh at it+ and 1ill only gnash your teeth> it 1ill be li9e the !ilein
the !able 1hih
the ser#ent tried to bite+ but it destroyed all his teeth.
$et us no1 enter on the series o! initiations. I ha%e said that
re%elation is the
1ord. As a !at+ the 1ord+ or s#eeh+ is the %eil o! being and the
harateristi sign
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o! li!e. E%ery !orm is the %eil o! a 1ord+ beause the idea 1hih is
the mother o!
the 1ord is the sole reason !or the eistene o! !orms. E%ery !igure is
a harater+
e%ery harater deri%es !rom and returns into a 1ord. or this reason
the anient
--------------------------------------- 25
/ The Dotrine o! Transendental Magi
sages+ o! 1hom Trismegistus is the organ+ !ormulated their sole dogma
in these
terms: That 1hih is abo%e is li9e unto that 1hih is belo1+ and that
1hih is
belo1 unto that 1hih is abo%e.F In other 1ords+ the !orm is
#ro#ortional to the
idea> the shado1 is the measure o! the body alulated in its relation
to the lumi-
nous ray> the sabbard is as dee# as the s1ord is long> the negation isin #ro#or-
tion to the ontrary a!!irmation> #rodution is e and there is no #oint in in!inite
etension 1hih
may not be regarded as the entre o! a irle ha%ing an e#anding
irum!erene
reeding inde!initely into s#ae. E%ery indi%iduality is there!ore
inde!initely #er-
!etible+ sine the moral order is analogous to the #hysial+ and sine
1e annot
onei%e any #oint as unable to dilate+ inrease and radiate in a
#hiloso#hially
unlimited irle. What an be a!!irmed o! the soul in its totality may
be a!!irmed
o! eah !aulty o! the soul. The intelligene and 1ill o! man are
instruments o!
inalulable #o1er and a#aity. "ut intelligene and 1ill #ossess as
their
hel#-mate and instrument a !aulty 1hih is too im#er!etly 9no1n+ the
omni#o-
tene o! 1hih belongs elusi%ely to the domain o! Magi. I s#ea9 o!
the imagina-
tion+ 1hih the Gabalists term the DIAPHA7E or TRA7B$8'ID .
Imagination+ in
e!!et+ is li9e the soulLs eye> therein !orms are outlined and
#reser%ed> thereby 1ebehold the re!letions o! the in%isible 1orld> it is the glass o!
%isions and the a##a-
ratus o! magial li!e. "y its inter%ention 1e heal diseases+ modi!y the
seasons+
1arn o!! death !rom the li%ing and raise the dead to li!e+ beause it
is the imagina-
tion 1hih ealts 1ill and gi%es it #o1er o%er the 8ni%ersal Agent.
Imagination
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determines the sha#e o! the hild in its motherLs 1omb and deides the
destiny o!
men> it lends 1ings to ontagion and direts the arms o! 1ar!are. Are
you e#osed
in battleK "elie%e yoursel! to be in%ulnerable li9e Ahilles+ and you
1ill be so+ says
Paraelsus. ear attrats bullets+ but they are re#elled by ourage. It
is 1ell
9no1n that #ersons 1ith am#utated limbs !eel #ain in the %iinity o!
members
1hih they #ossess no longer. Paraelsus o#erated u#on li%ing blood by
mediat-
ing the #rodut o! a bleeding> he ured headahe at a distane by
treating hair ut
!rom the #atient. "y the siene o! the theoretial unity and
solidarity bet1een all
#arts o! the body+ he antii#ated and outstri##ed the theories+ or
rather e#eri-
enes+ o! our most elebrated magnetists. Hene his ures 1ere
miraulous+ and to
his name o! Phili# Theo#hrastus "ombast+ he deser%ed the addition o!Aureolus
Paraelsus+ 1ith the !urt her e#ithet o! di%ine
Imagination is the instrument o! THE ADAPTATI)7 ) THE W)RD.
Imagination
a##lied to reason is genius. Reason is one+ as genius is one+ in all
the %ariety o! its
1or9s. There is one #rini#le+ there is one truth+ there is one reason+
there is one
absolute and uni%ersal #hiloso#hy. Whatsoe%er is subsists in unity+
onsidered as
beginning+ and returns into unity+ onsidered as end. )ne is in one>
that is to say+
all is in all. 8nity is the #rini#le o! numbers> it is also the
#rini#le o! motion and
onse
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Abo%e+ immensity: "elo1 immensity still Immensity e it is reation in hea%en
orres#onding to
the omni#otene o! the 1ord belo1. This letter is a #antale in itsel!
= that is+ a
harater e#ressing the uni%ersal siene. It is su##lementary to the
sared signs
o! the Maroosm and Miroosm> it e#lains the Masoni double-triangle
and
!i%e-#ointed bla?ing star> !or the 1ord is one and re%elation is one.
"y endo1ing
man 1ith reason+ @od ga%e him s#eeh> and re%elation+ mani!old in its
!orms but
one in its #rini#le+ onsists entirely in the uni%ersal 1ord+ the
inter#reter o! abso-lute reason. This is the signi!iane o! that term so muh
misonstrued+ 'ATH)$I' -
ITJ+ 1hih+ in modern hierati language+ means I7A$$I"I$ITJ. The
uni%ersal in
reason is the Absolute+ and the Absolute is the in!allible. I! absolute
reason
im#elled uni%ersal soiety to belie%e irresistibly the utterane o! a
hild+ that hild
1ould be in!allible by the ordination o! @od and o! all humanity. aith
is nothing
else but reasonable on!idene in this unity o! reason and in this
uni%ersality o!
the 1ord. To belie%e is to #lae on!idene in that 1hih as yet 1e do
not 9no1
1hen reason assures us be!orehand o! ultimately 9no1ing or at least
reogni?ing
it. Absurd are the so-alled #hiloso#hers 1ho ry: I 1ill ne%er
belie%e in a thing
1hih I do not 9no1F Bhallo1 reasoners I! you 9ne1+ 1ould you need to
belie%eK
"ut must I belie%e on hane and a#art !rom reasonK
'ertainly not. "lind and ha#ha?ard belie! is su#erstition and !olly.
We may
ha%e !aith in auses 1hih reason om#els us to admit on the e%idene
o! e!!ets
9no1n and a##reiated by siene. Biene @reat 1ord and great
#roblem Whatis sieneK We shall ans1er in the seond ha#ter o! this boo9.
--------------------------------------- 2/
II h "
THE PI$$ARB ) THE TEMP$E
'H)GMAH D)M8B @7)BIB
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B'IE7'E is the absolute and om#lete #ossession o! truth. Hene ha%e
the sages
o! all the enturies trembled be!ore suh an absolute and terrible
1ord> they ha%e
hesitated in arrogating to themsel%es the !irst #ri%ilege o! Di%inity
by assuming
the #ossession o! siene+ and ha%e been ontented+ instead o! the %erb
T) G7)W+
1ith that 1hih e#resses learning+ 1hile+ in #lae o! the
1ordB'IE7'E + they ha%e
ado#ted that o! @7)BIB + 1hih re#resents sim#ly the notion o! learning
by intu-
ition. What+ in !at+ does man 9no1K 7othing+ and at the same time he
is allo1ed
to ignore nothing. De%oid o! 9no1ledge+ he is alled u#on to 9no1 all.
7o1+
9no1ledge su##oses the duad = a being 1ho 9no1s and an ob0et 9no1n.
The
duad is the generator o! soiety and o! la1: it is also the number o!
the @nosis.
The duad is unity multi#lying itsel! in order to reate+ and hene insared sym-
bolism E%e issues !rom the inmost bosom o! Adam. Adam is the human
tetra-
gram+ summed u# in the mysterious )D+ ty#e o! the 9abalisti #hallus.
"y adding
to this )D the triadi name o! E%e+ the name o! eho%a is !ormed+ the
Di%ine Tet-
ragram+ 1hih is eminently the 9abalisti and magial 1ord+ n%+ being
that
1hih the high-#riest in the tem#le #ronouned )D'HE;A . Bo unity+
om#lete in
the !ruit!ulness o! the triad+ !orms there1ith the tetrad+ 1hih is the
9ey o! all
numbers+ o! all mo%ements and o! all !orms. "y a re%olution about its
o1n entre+
the s " is the
#assi%e> the monad is ")AC> the duad is AGI7 . In the trigrams o!
ohi+ unity is the
JA7@ and the duad is the JI7.
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--------------------------------------- 2
THE PI$$ARB ) THE TEMP$E
")AC and AGI7 are the names o! the t1o symbolial Pillars be!ore the
#rini#al
entrane o! BolomonLs Gabalisti Tem#le. In the Gabalah these Pillars
e#lain all
mysteries o! antagonism+ 1hether natural+ #olitial or religious. They
eluidate
also the #roreati%e struggle bet1een man and 1oman+ !or+ aording to
the la1
o! 7ature+ the 1oman must resist the man+ and he must entie or
o%erome her.
The ati%e #rini#le see9s the #assi%e #rini#le+ the #lenum desires
the %oid+ the
ser#entLs 0a1 attrats the ser#entLs tail+ and in turnin g about u#on
himsel!+ he+ atthe same time+ !lies and #ursues himsel!. Woman is the reation o! man+
and uni-
%ersal reation is the bride o! the irst Prini#le.
When the Bu#reme "eing beame a 'reator+ He ereted a )D or a
#hallus+ and
to #ro%ide a #lae in the !ullness o! the unreated light+ it 1as
neessary to hollo1
out a teis or trenh o! shado1 e man
destroys to reate+ 1oman builds u# to #reser%e> man is re%olution+
1oman is on-iliation> man is the !ather o! 'ain+ 1oman the mother o! Abel. What
also is 1is-
domK It is the agreement and union o! t1o #rini#les+ the mildness o!
Abel
direting the ati%ity o! 'ain+ man guided by the s1eet ins#irations o!
1oman+
debauhery on
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subdued by the gentleness o! order and #eae+ #ride sub0ugated by lo%e+
siene
a9no1ledging the ins#irations o! !aith. It is then that siene
beomes 1ise and
submits to the in!allibilit y o! uni%ersal reason+ instruted by lo%e
or uni%ersal
harity. Then it an assume the name o! @7)BIB + beause it 9no1s at
least that as
yet it annot boast o! 9no1ing #er!etly.
The monad an mani!est only by the duad> unity itsel! and the notion
o! unity
at one onstitute t1o. The unity o! the Maroosm re%eals itsel! by
the t1o o##o-
site #oints o! t1o triangles. Human unity !ul!ils itsel! to righ t and
le!t. Primiti%e
man is androgynous. All organs o! the human body are dis#osed in #airs+
ee#t-
ing the nose+ the tongue+ the umbilius and the 9abalisti )D.
Di%inity+ one in its
essene+ has t1o essential onditions as the !undamental grounds o! its
being =neessity and liberty. The la1s o! su#reme reason neessitate and rule
liberty in
@od+ Who is o! neessity 1ise and reasonable.
To ma9e light %isible @od had only to #ostulate shado1. To mani!est
the truth
He #ermitted the #ossibility o! doubt. The shado1 bodies !orth the
light+ and the
#ossibility o! error is essential !or the tem#oral mani!estation o!
truth. I! the bu9-
--------------------------------------- 2
,3 The Dotrine o! Transendental Magi
ler o! Batan did not intere#t the s#ear o! Mihael+ the might o! the
angel 1ould
be lost in the %oid or mani!ested by in!inite destrution launhed
belo1 !rom
abo%e. Did not the heel o! Mihael restrain Batan in his asent+ Batan
1ould
dethrone @od+ or rather he 1ould lose himsel! in the abysses o! the
altitude.
Hene Batan is need!ul to Mihael as the #edestal to the statue+ and
Mihael is
neessary to Batan as the bra9e to the loomoti%e. In analogial and
uni%ersaldynamis one leans only on that 1hih resists. urthermore+ the
uni%erse is bal-
aned by t1o !ores 1hih maintain it in e in #hysis they #rodue e
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#rogressi%e re%elation. The anients re#resented this mystery by the
on!lit
bet1een Eros and Anteros+ the struggle bet1een aob and the angel+ and
by the
e
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'ain. In the @os#el the ty#e o! 'ain is re#laed by that o! the
Prodigal Bon+ 1hom
his !ather !orgi%es !reely beause he returns a!ter ha%ing endured
muh.
There is mery and there is 0ustie in @od> to the 0ust He dis#enses
0ustie and
to sinners mery. In the soul o! the 1orld+ 1hih is the 8ni%ersal
Agent+ there is a
urrent o! lo%e and a urrent o! 1rath. This ambient and all-
#enetrating !luid>
this ray loosened !rom the sunLs s#lendour and !ied by the 1eight o!
the atmo-
s#here and the #o1er o! entral attration> this body o! the Holy
B#irit+ 1hih 1e
term the 8ni%ersal Agent+ 1hile it 1as ty#i!ied by the anients under
the symbol
o! a ser#ent de%ouring its tail> this eletromagneti ether+ this %ital
and luminous
alori+ is de#ited in arhai monuments by the girdle o! Isis+ t1ie-
!olded in a
lo%e-9not round t1o #oles+ as 1ell as by the ser#ent de%ouring its o1ntail+
emblemati o! #rudene and o! Baturn. Motion and li!e onsist in the
etreme ten-
sion o! t1o !ores. I 1ould thou 1ert old or hot+F said the Master.
As a !at+ a
great sinner is more really ali%e than is a te#id+ e!!eminate man+ and
the !ullness
o! his return to %irtue 1ill be in #ro#ortion to the etent o! his
errors. Bhe 1ho is
destined to rush the ser#entLs head is intelligene+ 1hih e%er rises
abo%e the
stream o! blind !ores. The Gabalists all her the %irgin o! the sea+
1hose dri##ing
!eet the in!ernal dragon ra1ls !or1ard to li9 1ith his !iery tongues+
and they !all
aslee# in delight.
Hereo! are the hierati mysteries o! the duad. "ut there is one+ and
the last o!
all+ 1hih must not be made 9no1n+ the reason+ aording to Hermes
Trismegis-
tus+ being the malom#rehension o! the %ulgar+ 1ho 1ould asribe to the
neessi-
ties o! siene the immoral as#et o! blind !atality. "y the !ear o!
the un9no1n
must the ro1d be restrained+F he obser%es in another #lae> and 'hrist
also said:
'ast not your #earls be!ore s1ine+ lest+ tram#ling them under their!eet+ they
turn and rend you.F The Tree o! the Gno1ledge o! @ood and E%il+ o!
1hih the
!ruits are death+ is the ty#e o! this hierati seret o! the duad+
1hih 1ould be only
misonstrued i! di%ulged+ and 1ould lead ommonly to the unholy denial
o! !ree
1ill+ though it is the #rini#le o! moral li!e. It is hene in the
essene o! things that
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the re%elation o! this seret means death+ and it is not at the same
time the @reat
Beret o! Magi> but the aranum o! the duad leads u# to that o! the
tetrad+ or
more orretly #roeeds there!rom+ and is resol%ed by the triad+ 1hih
ontains
the 1ord o! that enigma #ro#ounded by the s#hin+ the !inding o! 1hih
1ould
ha%e sa%ed the li!e+ atoned !or the unonsious rime and established
the 9ingdom
o! )edi#us.
--------------------------------------- 43
,2 The Dotrine o! Transendental Magi
In the hierogly#hi 1or9 o! Hermes+ being the Tarot or "oo9 o! Thoth+
the
duad is re#resented either by the horns o! Isis+ 1ho has her head
%eiled and ano#en boo9 onealed #artially under her mantle+ or other1ise by a
so%ereign lady+
uno+ the @ree9 goddess+ 1ith one hand u#li!ted to1ards hea%en and the
other
#ointed to earth+ as i! !ormulating by this gesture the one and t1o!old
dogma
1hih is the !oundation o! Magi and begins the mar%ellous symbols o!
the
Emerald TableF o! Hermes. In the A#oaly#se o! Bt. ohn there is
re!erene to
t1o 1itnesses or martyrs on 1hom #ro#heti tradition on!ers the names
o! Elias
and Enoh-Elias+ man o! !aith+ enthusiasm+ mirale> Enoh+ one 1ith him
1ho is
alled Hermes by the Egy#tians+ honoured by the Phoeniians as 'admus+
author
o! the sared al#habet and the uni%ersal 9ey to the initiations o! the
$ogos+ !ather
o! the Gabalah+ he 1ho+ aording to sared allegories+ did not die
li9e other men+
but 1as translated to hea%en+ and 1ill return at the end o! time. Muh
the same
#arable is told o! Bt. ohn himsel!+ 1ho reo%ered and e#lained in his
A#oaly#se
the symbolism o! the 1ord o! Enoh. This resurretion o! Bt. ohn and
Enoh+
e#eted at the lose o! the ages o! ignorane+ 1ill be the reno%ationo! their do-
trine by the om#rehension o! the 9abalisti 9eys 1hih unlo9 the
tem#le o!
unity and o! uni%ersal #hiloso#hy+ too long oult and reser%ed solely
!or the elet+
1ho #erish at the hands o! the 1orld.
"ut 1e ha%e said that the re#rodution o! the monad by the duad leads
o!
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neessity to the one#tion and dogma o! the triad+ so 1e ome no1 to
this great
number+ 1hih is the !ullness and #er!et 1ord o! unity.
--------------------------------------- 4,
III g '
THE TRIA7@$E ) B) $)M)7
P$E7IT8D) ;)'IB "I7AH PHJBIB
THE #er!et 1ord is the triad+ beause it su##oses an intelligent
#rini#le+ a
s#ea9ing #rini#le and a #rini#le s#o9en. The Absolute+ re%ealed by
s#eeh+
endo1s this s#eeh 1ith a sense e in the-
ology = @od+ inarnation+ redem#tion> in the human soul = thought+ lo%e
and
ation> in the !amily = !ather+ mother and hild. The triad is the end
and su#reme
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e#ression o! lo%e> 1e see9 one another as t1o only to beome three.
There are three intelligible 1orlds 1hih orres#ond one 1ith another
by hier-
arhi analogy> the natural or #hysial+ the s#iritual or meta#hysial+
and the
di%ine or religious 1orlds. rom this #rini#le !ollo1s the hierarhy
o! s#irits+
di%ided into three orders+ and again subdi%ided by the triad in eah o!
these.
All these re%elations are logial dedutions !rom the !irst
mathematial notions
o! being and number. 8nity must multi#ly itsel! in order to beome
ati%e. An
indi%isible+ motionless and sterile #rini#le 1ould be unity dead and
inom#re-
hensible. Were @od only one He 1ould ne%er be 'reator or ather. Were
He t1o
there 1ould be antagonism or di%ision in the in!inite+ 1hih 1ould mean
the di%i-
sion also or death o! all #ossible things. He is there!ore three !or
the reation by,4
--------------------------------------- 42
,5 The Dotrine o! Transendental Magi
Himsel! and in His image o! the in!inite multitude o! beings and
numbers. Bo is
He truly one in Himsel! and tri#le in our one#tion+ 1hih also leads
us to behold
Him as tri#le in Himsel! and one in our intelligene and our lo%e. This
is a mys-
tery !or the !aith!ul and a logial neessity !or the initiate into
absolute and real
sienes.
The Word mani!ested by li!e is reali?ation or inarnation. The li!e o!
the Word
aom#lishing its yli mo%ement is ada#tation or redem#tion. This
tri#le
dogma 1as 9no1n in all santuaries illuminated by the tradition o! the
sages. Do
you 1ish to asertain 1hih is the true religionK Bee9 that 1hih
reali?es most in
the Di%ine )rder+ 1hih humani?es @od and ma9es man di%ine+ 1hih
#reser%es
the triadi dogma intat+ 1hih lothes the Word 1ith !lesh by ma9ing@od man-
i!est to the hands and eyes o! the most ignorant+ 1hih in !ine a##eals
to all in its
dotrine and an ada#t itsel! to all = the religion 1hih is hierarhi
and yli+
ha%ing allegories and images !or hildren+ an ealted #hiloso#hy !or
gro1n men+
sublime ho#es and s1eet onsolations !or the old.
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The #rime%al sages+ 1hen see9ing the irst o! 'auses+ behold good and
e%il in
the 1orld. They onsidered shado1 and light> they om#ared 1inter 1ith
s#ring+
age 1ith youth+ li!e 1ith death+ and their onlusion 1as this: The
irst 'ause is
bene!ient and se%ere> It gi%es and ta9es a1ay li!e. Then are there t1o
ontrary
#rini#les+ the one good and the other e%il+ elaimed the disi#les o!
Manes. 7o+
the t1o #rini#les o! uni%ersal e but the su#reme eellene is abo%e both+ a##lying
e%il to the %i-
tory o! good and good to the amendment o! e%il.
The #rini#le o! harmony is in unity+ and it is this 1hih im#arts
suh #o1er to
the une%en number in Magi. 7o1+ the most #er!et o! the odd numbers is
three+beause it is the trilogy o! unity. In the trigrams o! ohi+ the
su#erior triad is om-
#osed o! three JA7@+ or masuline !igures+ beause nothing #assi%e an
be admit-
ted into the idea o! @od+ onsidered as the #rini#le o! #rodution in
the three
1orlds. or the same reason+ the 'hristian Trinity by no means #ermits
the #er-
soni!iation o! the mother+ 1ho is sho1n !orth im#liitly in that o!
the Bon. or
the same reason+ also+ it is ontrary to the la1s o! hierati and
orthodo symbol-
ogy to #ersoni!y the Holy @host under the !orm o! a 1oman. Woman omes
!orth
!rom man as 7ature omes !orth !rom @od> so 'hrist Himsel! asends to
hea%en
and assumes the ;irgin Mother: 1e s#ea9 o! the asension o! the
Ba%iour+ and the
assum#tion o! the Mother o! @od. @od+ onsidered as ather+ has 7ature
!or His
daughter> as Bon+ He has the ;irgin !or His mother and the 'hurh !or
His bride>
as Holy B#irit+ He regenerates and !ruti!ies humanity. Hene+ in the
trigrams o!
ohi+ the three in!erior JI7 orres#ond to the three su#erior JA7@+ !or
these tri-
grams onstitute a #antale li9e that o! the t1o triangles o! Bolomon+but 1ith a
triadi inter#retation o! the si #oints o! the bla?ing star.
--------------------------------------- 44
THE TRIA7@$E ) B)$)M)7 ,6
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Dogma is only di%ine inasmuh as it is truly human = that is to say+
in so !ar as
it sums u# the highest reason o! humanity. Bo also the Master+ Whom 1e
term the
Man-@od+ alled Himsel! the Bon o! Man. Re%elation is the e#ression o!
belie!
ae#ted and !ormulated by uni%ersal reason in the human 1ord+ on 1hih
aount it is said that the di%inity is human and the humanity di%ine
in the Man-
@od.+ We a!!irm all this #hiloso#hially+ not theologially+ 1ithout
in!ringing in
any 1ay on the teahing o! the 'hurh+ 1hih ondemns and must al1ays
on-
demn Magi. Paraelsus and Agri##a did not set u# altar against altar
but bo1ed
to the ruling religion o! their time: to the elet o! siene+ the
things o! siene> to
the !aith!ul+ the things o! !aith.
In his hymn to the royal Bun+ the Em#eror ulian gi%es a theory o! the
triad
1hih is almost idential 1ith that o! the illuminated B1edenborg. Thesun o! the
di%ine 1orld is the in!inite+ s#iritual and unreated light+ 1hih is
%erbali?ed+ so
to s#ea9+ in the #hiloso#hial 1orld+ and beomes the !ountain o! souls
and o!
truth> then it inor#orates and beomes %isible light in the sun o! the
third 1orld+
the entral sun o! our suns+ o! 1hih the !ied stars are the e%er-
li%ing s#ar9s. The
Gabalists om#are the s#irit to a substane 1hih remains !luid in the
di%ine
medium and under the in!luene o! the essential light+ its eterior+
ho1e%er+
beoming solidi!ied+ li9e 1a 1hen e#osed to air+ in the older realms
o! reason-
ing or o! %isible !orms. These shells+ en%elo#es #etri!ied or
arni!ied+ 1ere suh an
e#ression #ossible+ are the soure o! errors or o! e%il+ 1hih
onnets 1ith the
hea%iness and hardness o! animal en%elo#es. In the boo9 Cohar+ and in
that o! the
Re%olution o! Bouls+ #er%erse s#irits or e%il demons are ne%er alled
other1ise
than shells = orties. The orties o! the 1orld o! s#irits are
trans#arent+ 1hile
those o! the material 1orld are o#a
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them !rom asending. Indeed+ they an do so only a!ter in!inite
struggles+ and by
the mediation o! the 0ust+ 1ho streth !orth their hands to1ards them.
During the
1hole #eriod o! the #roess they are de%ourd by the interior ae ti%ity
o! the a#-
ti%e s#irit+ as in a burning !urnae. Th ose 1ho attain the #yre o!
e#iation burn
themsel%es thereon+ li9e Herules u#on Mount )etna+ and so are
deli%ered !rom
their su!!erings> but the ourage o! the ma0ority !ails be!ore this
ordeal+ 1hih
seems to them a seond death more a##alling than the !irst + and so
they remain in
hell+ 1hih is rightly and atually eternal> but souls are ne%er
#rei#itated nor
e%en retained des#ite themsel%es therein.
--------------------------------------- 45
,/ The Dotrine o! Transendental Magi
The three 1orlds orres#ond together by means o! the thirty-t1o #aths
o! light+
1hih are as ste#s o! a sared ladder. E%ery true thought orres#onds
to a Di%ine
@rae in hea%en and a good 1or9 on earth> e%ery @rae o! @od mani!ests
a truth+
and #rodues one or many ats> rei#roally+ e%ery at a!!ets a truth
or !alsehood
in the hea%ens+ a grae or a #unishment. When a man #ronounes the
Tetragram
= say the Gabalists = the nine elestial realms sustain a sho9+ and
then all s#irits
ry out one u#on another: Who is it thus disturbing the 9ingdom o!
hea%enKF
Then does the earth ommuniate unto the !rst s#heri e the sins o! that
rash being
1ho ta9es the Eternal 7ame in %ain+ and the ausing 1ord is
transmitted !rom
irle to irle+ !rom star to star+ and !rom hierarhy to hierarhy.
E%ery utterane #ossesses three senses+ e%ery at has a tri#le range+
e%ery !orm
a tri#le idea+ !or the Absolute orres#onds !rom 1orld to 1orld by its
!orms. E%ery
determination o! human 1ill modi!ies 7ature+ onerns #hiloso#hy and is
1rittenin hea%en. There are onse
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#le resolutions do o!ten determine an inalulable series o! bene!its
or e%ils+ abo%e
all in the a!!inities o! our DIAPHA7E 1ith the @reat Magial Agent+ as
1e shall
e#lain else1here.
The triad+ being the !undamental #rini#le o! the 1hole Gabalah+ or
Bared
Tradition o! our !athers+ 1as neessarily the !undamental dogma o!
'hristianity+
the a##arent dualism o! 1hih it e#lains by the inter%ention o! a
harmonious
and all-#o1er!ul unity. 'hri st did not #ut His teahing into 1riting+
and only
re%ealed it in seret to His !a%oured disi#le+ the one Gabalist+ and
he a great
Gabalist+ among the a#ostles. Bo is the A#oaly#se the boo9 o! the
@nosis or
Beret Dotrine o! the !irst 'hristians+ and the 9ey o! this dotrine
is indiated by
an oult %ersile o! the $ordLs Prayer+ 1hih the ;ulgate lea%es
untranslated+1hile in the @ree9 Rite+ 1hih #reser%es the traditions o! Bt. ohn+
the #riests only
are #ermitted to #ronoune it. This %ersile+ om#letely 9abalisti+ is
!ound in the
@ree9 tet o! the @os#el aording to Bt. Matthe1+ and in se%eral
Hebre1 o#ies+
as !ollo1s:
.
The sared 1ord MA$G8TH substituted !or GETHER + 1hih is its
9abalisti
orres#ondent+ and the e
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I7 7ature there are t1o !ores #roduing e
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nay o! light = East and West = and the yea and nay o! 1armth = Bouth
and 7orth.
As 1e ha%e said already+ aording to the sole dogma o! the Gabalah+
that 1hih
is in %isible 7ature re%eals that 1hih is in the domain o! in%isible
7ature+ or se-
ondary auses are in strit #ro#ortion and analogous to the
mani!estations o! the
irst 'ause. Bo is this irst 'ause re%e aled in%ariably by the 'ross =
that unity
made u# o! t1o+ di%ided one by the other in order to #rodue !our> that
9ey to the
,
--------------------------------------- 4
THE TETRA@RAM ,
mysteries o! India and Egy#t+ The Tau o! the #atriarhs+ the di%ine
sign o! )siris+the Btauros o! the @nostis+ the 9eystone o! the tem#le+ the symbol o!
)ult
Masonry> the 'ross+ entral #oint o! the 0untion o! the right angles
o! t1o in!inite
triangles> the 'ross+ 1hih in the renh language seems to be the
!irst root and
!undamental substanti%e o! the %erb to belie%e and the %erb to gro1+
thus ombin-
ing the one#tions o! siene+ religion and #rogress.
The @reat Magial Agent mani!ests by !our 9inds o! #henomena+ and has
been
sub0eted to the e#eriments o! #ro!ane siene under !our names =
alori+ light+
eletriity+ magnetism. It has reei%ed also the names o! TETRA@RAM +
I7RI+
AC)TH + ETHER + )D+ Magneti luid+ Boul o! the Earth+ $ui!er+ et.
The @reat
Magial Agent is the !ourth emanation o! the li!e-#rini#le+ o! 1hih
the sun is the
third !orm = see the initiates o! the shool o! Aleandria and the
dogma o! Hermes
Trismegistus. In this 1ay the eye o! the 1orld+ as the anients alled
it+ is the
mirage o! the re!letion o! @od+ and the soul o! the earth is a
#ermanent glane o!
the sun 1hih the earth onei%es and guards by im#regnation. The moon
on-urs in this im#regnation o! the earth by re!leting a solar image
during the night+
so that Hermes 1as right 1hen he said o! the @reat Agent: The sun is
its !ather+
the moon its mother.F Then he adds: The 1ind has borne it in the belly
thereo!+F
beause the atmos#here is the rei#ient and+ as it 1ere+ the ruible
o! the solar
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re%eal it to a #ro!ane #erson is to lose it> to re%eal it e%en to a
disi#le is to abdi-
ate in !a%our o! that disi#le+ 1ho+ hene!or1ard+ #ossesses the right
o! li!e and
death o%er his master = I am s#ea9ing !rom the magial stand#oint = and
1ill er-
tainly slay him !or !ear o! dying himsel!. "ut this has nothing in
ommon 1ith
deeds the #ratial
#hiloso#hy 1hih
is the basis and #oint o! de#arture !or our la1s does not reogni?e the
!ats o!
be1ithment and o! oult in!luenes. We touh here u#on etraordinary
re%ela-
tions+ and are #re#ared !or the unbelie! and derision o! inredulous
!anatiism>
%oltairean religion has also its !anatis+ #ae the great shades 1ho
must no1 be
lur9ing sullenly in the %aults o! the Pantheon+ 1hile 'atholiism+
strong e%er in its
#raties and #restige+ hants the )!!ie o%erhead.The #er!et 1ord+ that 1hih is ade
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attainmentK We thin9 not. "ut 1hen it is diso%ered the in%entor 1ill
understand
by analogy all the serets o! 7ature PR)@REBB I7 DIRE'T PR)P)RTI)7 T)
REBIB -
TA7'E The absolute mo%ement o! li!e is thus the #er#etual onse
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to be nothingness. "eing and nothingness are t1o absolutely
irreonilable ideas+
1ith this di!!erene+ that the idea o! nothingness+ 1hih is altogether
negati%e+
issues !rom the %ery idea o! being+ 1hene e%en nothingness annot be
understood
as an absolute negation+ 1hilst the notion o! being an ne%er be #ut in
om#arison
1ith that o! nothingness+ and still less an it ome !orth there!rom.
To say that the
1orld has been #rodued out o! nothing is to ad%ane a monstrous
absurdity. All
that is #roeeds !rom 1hat has been+ and onse they are the #henomena o! li!e 1hih re#lae 1ithout destroying
one
another. All things hange> nothing #erishes. The sun does not die 1hen
it %an-
--------------------------------------- 53
22 The Dotrine o! Transendental Magi
ishes !rom the hori?on> e%en the most !luidi !orms are immortal+
subsisting
+ e al1ays in the #ermanene o! their raison dLtr 1hih is the
ombination o! light
1ith the aggregated #otenies o! the moleules o! the !irst substane.
Hene they
are #reser%ed in the astral !luid+ and an be e%o9ed and re#rodued
aording to
the 1ill o! the sage+ as 1e shall see 1hen treating o! seond sight
and the e%oa-
tion o! memories in neromany or other magial 1or9s. We shall return
also to
the @reat Magial Agent in the !ourth ha#ter o! the Ritual+ 1here 1e
shall om-
#lete our indiations o! the harateristis o! the @reat Aranum+ and
o! the
means o! reo%ering this tremendous #o1er.L
Here let us add a !e1 1ords on the !our magial elements and
elementary s#ir-
its. The magial elements are: in alhemy+ Balt+ Bul# hur+ Merury and
A?oth> in
Gabalah+ the Maro#roso#us+ the Miro#roso#us and the t1o Mothers> inhiero-
gly#his+ the Man+ Eagle+ $i on and "ull> in old #hysis+ aording to
%ulgar names
and notions+ air+ 1ater+ earth and !ire. "ut in magial siene 1e
9no1 that 1ater
is not ordinary 1ater+ !ire is not sim#ly !ire+ et. These e#ressions
oneal a more
reondite meaning. Modern siene has deom#osed the !our elements o!
the
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anients and redued them to a number o! so-alled sim#le bodies. That
1hih is
sim#le+ ho1e%er+ is the #rimiti%e substane #ro#erly so-alled> there
is thus only
one material element+ 1hih mani!ests al1ays by the tetrad in its
!orms. We shall
there!ore #reser%e the 1ise distintion o! elementary a##earanes
admitted by the
anients+ and shall reogni?e air+ !ire+ earth and 1ater as the !our
#ositi%e and %is-
ible elements o! Magi.
The subtle and the gross+ the s1i!t and slo1 sol%ent+ or the
instruments o! heat
and old+ onstitute+ in oult #hysis+ the t1o #ositi%e and negati%e
#rini#les o!
the tetrad+ and should be thus tabulated:
Thus+ air and earth re#resent the male #rini#le> !ire and 1ater are
re!erable to
the !emale #rini#le+ sine the Philoso#hial 'ross o! #antales+ as
a!!irmed
already+ is a #rimiti%e and elementary hierogly#h o! the lingam o! thegymnoso-
#hists. To these !our elementary !orms orres#ond the !our !ollo1ing
#hiloso#hi-
al ideas B#irit+ Matter+ Motion+ Rest. As a !at+ all siene is
om#rised in the
understanding o! these !our things+ 1hih alhemy has redued to three
= the
Absolute+ the ied and the ;olatile = re!erred by the Gabalah to the
essential idea
o! @od+ Who is absolute reason+ neessity and liberty+ a three!old
notion e#ressed
in the oult boo9s o! the Hebre1s. 8nder the names o! GETHER +
'H)GMAH and
"I7AH !or the Di%ine World> o! TIPHERETH + 'HEBED and @E"8RAH in the
moral
--------------------------------------- 5,
THE TETRA@RAM 24
1orld+ and o! EB)D + H)D and 7ETBAH in the #hysial 1orld+ 1hih+
together 1ith
the moral+ is ontained in the idea o! the Gingdom or MA$G8TH + 1e
shall e#lain
in the tenth ha#ter this theogony as rational as it is sublime.
7o1+ reated s#irits+ being alled to emani#ation by trial+ are#laed !rom
their birth bet1een these !our !ores+ t1o #ositi%e and t1o negati%e+
and ha%e it in
their #o1er to a!!irm or deny good+ to hoose li!e or death. To
diso%er the !ied
#oint+ that is+ the moral entre o! the 'ross+ is the !irst #roblem
1hih is gi%en
them to resol%e> their initial on
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begin by being dra1n+ some to the 7orth+ others to the Bouth> some to
the right+
others to the le!t> and in so !ar as they are not !ree+ they annot
ha%e the use o!
reason+ nor an they ta9e !lesh other1ise than in animal !orms. These
unemani-
#ated s#irits+ sla%es o! the !our elements+ are those 1hih the
Gabalists all ele-
mentary daimons+ and they #eo#le the elements 1hih orres#ond to their
state o!
ser%itude. Byl#hs+ undines+ gnomes and salamanders really eist
there!ore+ some
1andering and see9ing inarnation+ others inarnate and li%ing on this
earth.
These are %iious and im#er!et men. We shall return to this sub0et in
the !i!-
teenth ha#ter+ 1hih treats o! enhantments and demons.
That is also an oult tradition by 1hih the anients 1ere led to
admit the
eistene o! !our ages in the 1orld+ only it 1as not made 9no1n to the
%ulgar thatthese ages are suessi%e and are rene1ed+ li9e the !our seasons o! the
year. Thus+
the golden age has #assed+ and it is yet to ome. This+ ho1e%er+
belongs to the
s#irit o! #ro#hey+ and 1e shall s#ea9 o! it in the ninth ha#ter+
1hih is on-
erned 1ith the initiate and the seer. I! 1e no1 add the idea o! unity
to the tetrad+
1e shall ha%e+ together and se#arately+ the one#tions o! the di%ine
synthesis and
analysis+ the god o! the initiates and that o! the #ro!ane. Here the
dotrine
beomes more #o#ular+ as it #asses !rom the domain o! the abstrat: the
grand
hiero#hant inter%enes.
--------------------------------------- 52
; E
THE PE7T A@RAM
@E"8RAH E''E
HERE87T) 1e ha%e e#osed the magial dogma in its more arid and
abstruse
#hases> no1 the enhantments begin> no1 1e an #rolaim 1onders and
re%ealmost seret things. The Pentagram signi!ies the domination o! the mind
o%er the
elements+ and the demons o! air+ the s#irits o! !ire+ the #hantoms o!
1ater and
ghosts o! earth are enhained by this sign. E
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li9e the soulLs eye+ and you 1ill be ministered unto by legions o!
angels and hosts
o! !iends.
"ut here+ in the !irst #lae+ let us establish ertain #rini#les.
There is no in%is-
ible 1orld> there are+ ho1e%er+ many degrees o! #er!etion in organs.
The body is
the oarse and+ as it 1ere+ the #erishable orte o! the soul. The soul
an #erei%e
o! itsel!+ and inde#endently o! the mediation o! #hysial organs+ by
means o! its
sensibility and its DIAPHA7E = the things+ both s#iritual and
or#oreal+ 1hih are
eistent in the uni%erse. B#iritual and or#oreal are sim#ly terms
1hih e#ress
the degrees o! tenuity or density in substane. What is alled the
imagination
1ithin us is only the soulLs inherent !aulty o! assimilating the
images and re!le-
tions ontained in the li%ing light+ being the @reat Magneti Agent.
Buh imagesand re!letions are re%elations 1hen siene inter%enes to re%eal us
their body or
light. The man o! genius di!!ers !rom the dreamer and the !ool in this
only+ that
his reations are analogous to truth+ 1hile those o! the !ool and the
dreamer are
lost re!letions and be1rayed images. Hene+ !or the 1ise man+ to
imagine is to
see+ as+ !or the magiian+ to s#ea9 is to reate. It !ollo1s that+ by
means o! the
imagination+ demons and s#irits an be beheld really and in truth> but
the imagi-
nation o! the ade#t is dia#hanous+ 1hilst that o! the ro1d is o#a
the light o!
truth tra%erses the one as ordinary light #asses through lear glass+
and is
re!rated by the other+ as 1hen ordinary light im#inges u#on a %itreous
blo9+ !ull
o! soriae and !oreign matter. That 1hih most ontributes to the
errors o! the
%ulgar is the re!letion o! de#ra%ed imaginations one in the other. "ut
in %irtue o!
#ositi%e siene+ the seer 9no1s that 1hat he imagines is true+ and the
e%ent
in%ariably on!irms his %ision. We shall state in the Ritual a!ter 1hat
manner this
luidity an be a
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--------------------------------------- 54
THE PE7TA@RAM 26
We say dreams+ beause dream is the onse to be in estasy is to slee#> magneti
somnambulism
is a #rodution and diretion o! estasy The err. ors 1hih our
therein are oa-
sioned by re!letions !rom the DIAPHA7E o! 1a9ing #ersons+ and+ abo%e
all+ o! the
magneti?er. Dream is %ision #rodued by the re!ration o! a ray o!
truth. 'himeri-
al !antasy is halluination oasioned by a re!letion. The tem#tation
o! Bt.
Anthony+ 1ith its nightmares and its monsters+ re#resents the on!usion
o! re!le-
tions 1ith diret rays. Bo long as the soul struggles it is reasonable>1hen it yields
to this s#eies o! in%ading intoiation it beomes mad. To disentangle
the diret
ray+ and se#arate it !rom the re!letion = suh is the 1or9 o! the
initiate. Here let
us state distintly that this 1or9 is being #er!ormed ontinually in
the 1orld by
some o! the !lo1er o! man9ind> that there is hene a #ermanent
re%elation by
intuition> and that there is no insu#erable barrier 1hih se#arates
souls+ beause
there are no sudden interru#tions and no high 1alls in 7ature by 1hih
minds
an be di%ided !rom one another. All is transition and blending+
1here!ore+
assuming the #er!etibility+ i! not in!inite at least inde!inite+ o!
human !aulties+ it
1ill be understood that e%ery #erson an attain to see all+ and
there!ore to 9no1
all. There is no %oid in 7ature: all is #eo#led. There is no true death
in 7ature: all
is ali%e. Beest thou that starKF as9ed 7a#oleon o! 'ardinal esh.
7o+ Bire.F I
see it+F said the Em#eror+ and he most ertainly did. When great men
are aused
o! su#erstition+ it is beause they behold 1hat remains unseen by the
ro1d. Meno! genius di!!er !rom sim#le seers by their !aulty o! ommuniating
sensibly to
others that 1hih they themsel%es #erei%e+ and o! ma9ing themsel%es
belie%ed by
the !ore o! enthusiasm and sym#athy. Buh #ersons are the media o! the
Di%ine
Word.
$et us no1 s#ei!y the manner in 1hih %isions o#erate. All !orms
orres#ond
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to ideas+ and there is no idea 1hih has not its #ro#er and #euliar
!orm. The #ri-
mordial light+ 1hih is the %ehile o! all ideas+ is the mother o! all
!orms+ and
transmits them !rom emanation to emanation+ merely diminished or
modi!ied
--------------------------------------- 55
2/ The Dotrine o! Transendental Magi
aording to the density o! the media. Beondary !orms are re!letions
1hih
return to the !ont o! the emanated light. The !orms o! ob0ets+ being a
modi!ia-
tion o! light+ remain in the light 1here the re!letion onsigns them.
Hene the
Astral $ight+ or terrestrial !luid+ 1hih 1e all the @reat Magneti
Agent+ is satu-
rated 1ith all 9inds o! images or re!letions. 7o1+ our soul an e%o9ethese+ and
sub0et them to its DIAPHA7E + as the Gabalists term it. Buh images
are al1ays
#resent be!ore us+ and are e!!aed only by the more #o1er!ul
im#ressions o! real-
ity during 1a9ing hours+ or by #reou#ation o! the mind+ 1hih ma9es
our
imagination inattenti%e to the !luidi #anorama o! the Astral $ight.
When 1e
slee#+ this s#etale #resents itsel! s#ontaneously be!ore us+ and in
this 1ay
dreams are #rodued = dreams %ague and inoherent i! some go%erning
1ill do
not remain ati%e during the slee#+ gi%ing+ e%en unonsiously to our
intelligene+
a diretion to the dream+ 1hih then trans!orms into %ision. Animal
Magnetism is
nothing but an arti!iial slee# #rodued by the %oluntary or en!ored
union o! t1o
1ills+ one o! 1hih is a1a9e 1hile the other slumbers = that is+ one o!
1hih
direts the other in the hoie o! re!letions !or the trans!ormation
o! dreams into
%isions and the attainment o! truth by means o! images. Thus+
somnambulists do
not atually tra%el to the #lae 1here they are sent by the magneti?er>
they e%o9eits images in the Astral $ight and an behold nothing 1hih does not
eist in that
light. The Astral $ight has a diret ation on the ner%es+ 1hih are
its ondutors
in the animal eonomy+ transmitting it to the brain. It !ollo1s that+
in a state o!
somnambulism+ it is #ossible to see by means o! the ner%es+ 1ithout
being de#en-
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2 The Dotrine o! Transendental Magi
e#eriment o! e%oation 1ith the Pentagram+ a!ter due #re#aration
aording to
all the 'eremonies indiated in the thirteenth ha#ter o! the RitualF.
The suess
o! this e#eriment+ details o! 1hih+ as regards its #rini#les+ 1ill
be !ound in the
orres#onding ha#ter o! the #resent dotrinal #art+ establishes a ne1
#athologi-
al !at+ 1hih men o! true siene 1ill admit 1ithout di!!iulty. The
e#eriene+
re#eated e%en to a third time+ ga%e results truly etraordinary+ but
#ositi%e and
unmied 1ith halluination. We in%ite se#tis to ma9e a onsientious
and intel-
ligent trial on their o1n #art be!ore shrugging their shoulders andsmiling. The
!igure o! the Pentagram+ om#leted in aordane 1ith siene and used
by the
author in his e#eriment+ is that 1hih is !ound at the head o! this
ha#ter+ and it
is more #er!et than any in the Geys o! Bolomon or in the Magial
'alendars o!
Tyho "rahe and Duhentau. We must remar9+ ho1e%er+ that the use o! the
Pen-
tagram is most dangerous !or o#erators 1ho are not in #ossession o! its
om#lete
and #er!et understanding. The diretion o! the #oints o! the star is
in no sense
arbitrary+ and may hange the entire harater o! an o#eration+ as 1e
shall
e#lain in the RitualF.
Paraelsus+ that inno%ator in Magi+ 1ho sur#assed all other initiates
in his
unaided #ratial suess+ a!!irms that e%ery magial !igure and e%ery
9abalisti
sign o! the #antales 1hih om#el s#irits+ may be redued to t1o+
1hih are the
synthesis o! all the others> these are the Bign o! the Maroosm or the
Beal o!
Bolomon+ the !orm o! 1hih 1e ha%e gi%en already+ and that o! the
Miroosm+
more #otent e%en than the !irst = that is t o say+ t he Pentagram+ o!1hih he #ro-
%ides a most minute desri#tion in his oult #hiloso#hy. I! it be
as9ed ho1 a sign
an eerise so muh #o1er o%er s#irits+ 1e in
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logos. 7o1+ a sign 1hih summari?es+ in their e#ression+ all the
oult !ores o!
7ature+ a sign 1hih has e%er ehibited to elementary s#irits and
others a #o1er
greater than their o1n+ !ills them naturally 1ith res#et and !ear+
en!oring their
obediene by the em#ire o! siene and o! 1ill o%er ignorane and
1ea9ness. "y
the Pentagram also is measured the eat #ro#ortions o! the great and
uni
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sym#atheti = identi!ying itsel! 1ith the indi%idual li!e o! the being
1hih it ani-
mates+ and it is by this
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an intoiation or #assion. Woe to the Bamson o! the Gabalah i! he
#ermit himsel!
to be #ut aslee# by Delilah The Herules o! siene+ 1ho ehanges his
royal
se#tre !or the dista!! o! )m#hale+ 1ill soon e#eriene the %engeane
o! De0anira+
and nothing 1ill be le!t !or him but the #yre o! Mount )etna+ in order
to esa#e
the de%ouring !olds o! the oat o! 7essus. Beual lo%e is e%er an
illusion+ !or it is
the result o! an imaginary mirage. The Astral $ight is the uni%ersal
seduer+ ty#i-
!ied by the ser#ent o! @enesis.L This subtle agent+ e%er ati%e+ e%er
%igorous+ e%er
!ruit!ul in alluring dreams a nd sensuous images> this !ore+ 1hih o!
itsel! is blind
and subordinated to e%ery 1ill+ 1heth
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