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Crowley s birth.
3
Vau and Gimel, the Hierophant and High-Priestess in the Tarot. Hence  from
his Castle of Ug means  from his initiation. We cannot in future do more than
indicate the allusions.
4
The Kerubim.
5
See Table of Correspondences. [A Table of Correspondences was intended to
appear as an appendix to the first volume of Crowley s Collected Works. It is not
in the 1970s reprint from which I am working, and may not have been in the
original. See 777 instead  T.S.]
6
The 22nd Key of the Tarot. The other Tarot symbols can be traced by any one
who possesses, and to some degree understands, a pack of the cards. The occult
views of the nature of these symbols are in some cases Crowley s own.
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AMBROSII MAGI HORTUS ROSARUM
pearls, big and round like the breasts of a sea-nymph ; and they gleamed
round like moons. She held in leash the four Beasts, but he strode boldly
to her, and kissed her full on the lips. Wherefore she signed and fell
back a space, and he pressed on. Now at the end of the darkness a fire
Intellectus. glowed: she would have hindered him: clung she to his neck and wept.
But the fire grew and the light dazzled her; so that with a shriek she fell.
But the beasts flung themselves against the burning gateway of iron, and
it gave way. Our Father passed into the fire. Some say that it consumed
Deus. him utterly and that he died; howbeit, it is certain that he rose from a
sarcophagus, and in the skies stood an angel with a trumpet, and on that
trumpet he blew so mighty a blast that the dead rose all from their tombs,
and our Father among them.  Now away ! he cried.  I would look
upon the sun ! And with that the fire hissed like a myriad of serpents
and went out suddenly. It was a green sward golden with buttercups ;
H. et S. V. A. and in his way lay a high wall. Before it were two children, and with
obscene gestures they embraced, and laughed aloud, with filthy words and
acts unspeakable. Over all of which stood the sun calm and radiant, and
was glad to be. Now, think ye well, was our Father perplexed; and he
knew not what he would do. For the children left their foulness and
came soliciting with shameless words his acquiscence in their sport ; and
he, knowing the law of courtesy and pity, rebuked them not. But
master ever of himself he abode alone, about and above. So he saw his
virginity deflowered, and his thoughts were otherwere. Now loosed they
his body ; he bade it leap the wall. The giant flower of ocean bloomed
above him! He had fallen headlong into the great deep. As the green
and crimson gloom disparted somewhat before his eyes, he was aware of
Luna. a Beetle that steadily and earnestly moved across the floor of that Sea
unutterable. Him he followed;  for I wit well, thought the Adept,
 that he goeth not back to the gross sun of earth. And if the sun hath
become a beetle, may the beetle transform unto a bird. Wherewith he
Quid Umbra- came to land. Night shone by lamp of wining moon upon a misty land-
tur in Mari.
scape. Two paths led him to two towers; and jackals howled on either.
Now the jackal he knew; and the tower he knew not yet. Not two
would he conquer that were easy: to victory over one did he aspire.
Made he therefore toward the moon. Rough was the hillside and the
shadows deep and treacherous; as he advanced the towers seemed to
approach onoe another closer and closer yet. He drew his sword : with
a crash they came together; and he fell with wrath upon a single fortress.
Deo Duce Three windows had the tower; and against it ten cannons thundered.
Comite Ferro.
Eleven bricks had fallen dislodged by lightning : it was no house wherein
our Father might abide. But there he must abide.  To destroy it I am
come, he said. And through he passed out therewithal, yet  twas his
Vestigia Nulla home until he had attained. So at last he came to a river, and sailing to its
Retrorsum.
source he found a fair woman all naked, and she filled the river from two
vessels of pure water.  She-devil, he cried,  have I gone back one
step ? For the Star Venus burned above. And with his sword he
clave her from the head to the feet, that she fell clean asunder. Cried
the echo:  Ah ! thou hast slain hope now ! Our Father gladdened at
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APPENDIX II
that word, and wiping his blade he kissed it and went on, knowing
that his luck should now be ill. And ill it was, for a temple was set up in
Adest Rosa his way, and there he saw the grisly Goat enthroned. But he knew
Secreta Eros.
better than to judge a goat from a goat s head and hoofs. And the first
week he sacrificed to that goat1 a crown every day. The second a phallus.
The third a silver vase of blood. The fourth a royal sceptre. The fifth
a sword. The sixth a heart. The seventh a garland of flowers. The eighth
a grass-snake. The ninth a sickle. And the tenth week did he daily offer
up his own body. Said the goat:  Though I be not an ox,
yet am I a sword.  Masked, O God ! cried the Adept.  Verily, an
thou hadst not sacrificed  There was silence. And under the Goat s
throne was a rainbow2 of seven colours: our Father fitted himself as an
Hermaphrodi- arrow to the string (and the string was waxed well, dipped in a leaden pot
tus.
wherein boiled amber and wine) and shot through stormy heavens. And
they that saw him saw a woman wondrous fair3 robed in flames of hair,
moon-sandalled, sun-belted, with torch and vase of fire and water. And
he trailed comet-clouds of glory upward.
Thus came our Father (Blessed be his name!) to Death,4 who stood,
scythe in hand, opposed. And ever and anon he swept round, and men
fell before him.  Look, said Death,  my sickle hath a cross-handle. See
how they grow like flowers !  Give me salt ! quoth our Father.
Mors Janua And with sulphur (that the Goat had given him) and with salt did he
Vitae.
bestrew the ground.  I see we shall have ado together, says Death.
 Aye! and with that he lops off Death s cross-handle. Now Death
was wroth indeed, for he saw that our Father had wit of his designs (and
they were right foul !), but he bade him pass forthwith through his dominion.
And our Father could not at that time stay him: though for himself had he
cut off the grip, yet for others well, let each man take his sword!
Adeptus. The way went through a forest. Now between two trees hung a man by
one heel (Love was that tree).5 Crossed were his legs, and his arms
behind his head, that hung ever downwards, the fingers locked.  Who
art thou ? quoth our Father.  He that came before thee.  Who
am I ?  He that cometh after me. With that worshipped our Father, and
took a present of a great jewel from him, and went his ways. And
he was bitterly a-cold, for that was the great Water he had passed. But
our Father s paps glittered with cold, black light, and likewise his navel.
Terrae Ultor Wherefore he was comforted. Now came the sudden twittering of heart
Anima Terrae.
lest the firmament beneath him were not stable, and lo! he danceth up
and down as a very cork on waters of wailing.  Woman, he bade
sternly,  be still. Cleave that with thy sword: or that must I well
work? But she cleft the cords, bitter-faced, smiling goddess as she was;
1
The sacrifices are the ten Sephiroth.
2
See Table.
3
Ancient form of the Key of s.
4
Considered as the agent of resurrection.
5
In the true key of m the tree is shaped like the letter d = Venus or love. The
figure of the man forms a cross above a triangle, with apex upwards, the sign of
redemption.
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AMBROSII MAGI HORTUS ROSARUM
and he went on.  Leave thine ox-goad, 1 quoth he,  till I come back
an ox! And she laughed and let him pass. Now is our Father come
to the Unstable Lands,  Od wot, for the Wheel whereon he poised was [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]