The Hermit:

 

The Hermit:

“Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.”

The Hermit ATU corresponds to the letter Yod and connects Chesed to Tiphareth, the card is associated with Virgo and is attributed to the 20^th path on the Tree of Life. This path symbolizes creativity at its peak manifestation. This creativity is the result of Chokmah’s influence on Chesed, the influence of which is carried to Tiphareth and reflected into the Astral Triad. Thus, it is from Chesed’s influence that the force of the Logos may be brought into balance and its influence manifested as creativity. Crowley writes: “the letter Yod is the highest form of Mercury”. The Mercurial nature of Yod is in this card representative of the Azoth, another term for the Astral Light and the source of The Great Work. We can think of the Astral Light as Jung’s Collective Unconscious, wherein we find the archetypes that manifested with humanity's first creative impulses as symbols, symbols that will keep evolving until the end of time. I like to think of it as the realm of the Gods, that influences the course of human evolution, thus the creative potential for the entire human race. This also indicates the card’s relationship to the Logos, which is a term describing the procreative force in the universe. Crowley writes: “The highest symbolism of this card is, therefore, Fertility in its most exalted sense.” Without quoting Crowley again, he goes on to state that, Virgo is associated with corn and thus Persephone, who in Greek mythology is the Goddess of Earth and Fertility. Virgo is also ruled by Mercury and Mercury is exalted in the sign of Virgo, so the influence of Mercury is very great along this path and therefore, a card indicating divine inspiration, it is that state of being when creativity flows naturally, the work becomes easy, and one is at his most productive. Not hindered by influences from the world at large, but rather making a baby, in perfect harmony with one’s surroundings. Another name for this card is The Magus of the Voice of Power, in this name, the Voice of Power expresses the creative influence of the Logos upon the Adept, who then becomes the Word, which serves to inspire the lower. It is also said that The Hermit brings the Light to the College of Adepts, again drawing attention to the card's distinct connection with the Astral Light, as representing an Adept’s office, or as his work with the Azoth. The rebirth that is necessitated by The Hanged Man ATU is in need of the Universal Solvent to establish union between the three worlds and it is via this path that this union may be affected, hence the saying, The Hermit brings the Light to the College of Adepts. So, it is a multifaceted path in this respect, that not only is the Adept inspired here. But it is the path wherein the essential nature of the work in the Ethical Triad is established, and the Adept is raised to perfect union with his Angel.

Virgo is associated with the myth of Persephone who was the goddess of the underworld, vegetation and fertility. One day she was abducted by Hades and taken to the underworld, while she was there, she had eaten a pomegranate and as a result of eating food from Hades, she was unable to go back to the world. This made her sad and she wept unconsolably for which Zeus took pity on her and said that she would be allowed out of Hades for six months a year. Her release from Hades became celebrated as the first day of spring and she became synonymous with the spirit of fertility symbolized by the changing of the seasons. Crowley writes: “In this Trump is shewn the entire mystery of Life in its most secret workings. Yod Phallus Spermatozoon Hand Logos Virgin. There is perfect Identity, not merely Equivalence, of the Extremes, the Manifestation, and the Method.”

“Love is the law, love under will.”

Fortune:

 

Fortune:

“Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.”

Fortune represented by the Hebrew letter Kaph joins Chesed to Netzach and it is the twenty-first path on the Tree of Life. The card is associated with Jupiter, this card used to be called the Wheel of Fortune in the old Tarot decks and is the literal interpretation of the card, as it means luck or chance. Kaph means the palm of a hand or a grasping hand, which entails control. Or, seeming control over external circumstances which as most people probably know is nonsense, that one cannot truly control external events and circumstances, hence this fact is reflected in the card. As the card in a sense symbolizes the appearance of control and is an auspicious card to draw, however this appearance is the result of the adaptability of the querant’s perspective and the flexibility of his actions. The card according to Crowley suggests The Eye of Shiva as the destroyer of the universe and so the destruction and renewal of things which is an unavoidable part of existence, again stability is found in this changing of circumstances and one’s ability to adapt to these changes. Another name for this card is The Lord of the Forces of Life, indicating the nature of the card with more exactitude.

This card reflects mastery of the Powers of the Sphinx, to Know, to Will, to Dare and to Keep Silent. Once these powers have been brought under the control of the magician, they serve to fortify the work and balance life, so that the magician can focus on the Great Work without interference from the outside world. They teach us the proper way to conduct ourselves for success to be attained along the path, without these powers the magician doesn’t have a sure foundation or any foundation. The fifth power is to Go and associated with Spirit, thus completing the pentagram and a symbol of mastery and the ability to affirm our wills upon the world, this is indicated in the card, with the Sphinx’s position at the top of the wheel. The three beasts depicted on the wheel are the Sphinx, Typhon and Hermanubis, they also symbolize the Gunas and are indicative of the nature of the universe, which as mentioned is in a state of constant change. These are accordingly associated to the three alchemical elements, salt, sulfur and mercury. So, perhaps the Gunas on a micro and macrocosmic level is indicated and our need to harmonize with the environment, which leads to control.

The lightning at the top of the card is to symbolize the card’s relationship with Zeus, wherefrom the card is associated with inspired action. Divine inspiration is symbolized by the fact that according to myth, Zeus fathered many children with mortal women, most of whom became heroes. This influence can only truly be made use of, if the above-mentioned equilibrium has been attained, otherwise a person is subject to external circumstances and not a master of life.

“Love is the law, love under will.”

Who Knows?

 

Who Knows?

“Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.”

True Will is a particularly sketchy subject to approach, especially with so many people claiming that all ideas written on the subject are useless, if it wasn’t written by Aleister Crowley. Be that as it may, in Thelema we talk about three different types of will, and these three types of will are free will, True Will and Pure Will. I think any rational person would agree that these three are not the same thing. I have always thought that Pure Will is the will of the Spirit and should be seen as the Logos or the will of the Demiurge, which basically means the laws that govern the universe and especially the laws that govern spiritual attainment, which has to do with the collective interpretation and understanding of the symbols by humanity as a whole. Once a magician becomes an adept he unites with the Demiurge and establishes a perfect union with the Logos and lives life in harmony with the laws that govern the universe. Thus, the Pure Will could be described as the Will of the Spirit, at least this is my interpretation of the term. That being said, anyone is well within his or her right to dispute what I think it is, if he or she validates it with his or her own opinion. The idea is that once the adept is awakened, he becomes a perfect reflection of the Logos, but on the level of Spirit not with concern to his ego, but in the deepest part of himself, he is guided by the spirit that permeates the entire universe. This spirit is that same Spirit with which Hadit seeks reunion, and this may only occur after physical death, so it is Hadit’s will to expand into the eternal body of Nuit, perhaps in a sense it could be called Anatta or even Pure Consciousness, however I am not sure.

I am constantly trying to come up with new ways to understand what the True Will is and all I can think, is that nobody knows, not even one who is doing his True Will. I think the closest we can come to understanding the True Will is by studying our unconscious impulses. I believe the True Will really ties into the soul’s karma and can only be described as that which a person was born to do. Obviously, it makes sense, but nobody has the first inkling what he or she was born to do. I am not saying that past lives are a real thing, I do not think past life memories say anything to me about who I was in any past life, as I don’t think I have inherited some individual soul that has the capacity for conscious reflection, which is a brain thing and brains are physical organs. To tell you the truth, I think past life memories are conjured in the imagination as representative of feelings that cannot be intellectually understood and the only way for the mind to cope with something as ecstatic as the revelation of the spirit. I think such feelings can only be understood through archetypal imagery that take on an historical character on account of the constitution of man, being three-fold. Whereby through symbolic imagery this experience is perceived by the intellect and absorbed by the ego, so that equilibrium may be re-established. So, in my opinion, it is more apt to describe these visions as coping mechanisms rather than memories. Be that as it may, they are spiritual phenomena and happen within the context of spiritual training, so that these ‘memories’ have the character of the unique school of thought which they are associated with, and so we may conclude, that they are a means of establishing a magickal link with tradition, as between the ego and the spirit. Thus, I would have to conclude, that the ego is the driving force of the True Will, the person who I become in life and what makes me unique, along with my interpretation of the Logos is my True Will and so everyone’s True Will is different. But then, everyone also has a responsibility to himself or herself to find out what his or her True Will is, in order to avoid wasting their lives.

“Love is the law, love under will.”

Lust:

 

Lust:

“Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.”

The next card we’ll look at is the Lust ATU which corresponds to the path of Teth (Lamed). Now, anyone familiar with the Tree of Life will notice that this card is seemingly in the wrong place. However, it is not! In the old deck, Judgement (Adjustment) took the place of this card, but the revelation in the Book of the Law concerning the Tarot, has flipped the whole tree upside down and Lust has become the 11^th ATU, although it is still associated with the 19^th path. It is all quite confusing, I know… Lust is a martial card and corresponds to the path leading from Geburah to Tiphareth, or Mars and the Sun respectively.

This card represents strength and conquest for the sake of conquest, one may say this card represents Will, as moving forward unhampered by feelings that may stop it from acting. Being the path between Geburah and Tiphareth, it is associated with the Great Work of an Adept, once having attained and is working in accordance with his True Will, he has the inertia of the universe supporting him. The Royal Wedding is in the process of being consummated, and this is a celebration of marriage, thus the card is sometimes referred to as The Daughter of the Flaming Sword. There is great joy and confidence in the knowledge that one is doing exactly what he or she is supposed to and the only way to fail is to stop, there is beauty in such confidence and so this card corresponds to the sign of Leo. Therefore, when drawing this card, it is symbolic of the momentum of inertia, the current course has all the pieces in place for success, and the only requisite for achieving this, would be to stay the course.

The sign of Leo is associated with the Herculean Tasks and hence the Great Work. The lion that is representative of the sign is the lion that Heracles slayed as his first task called the Nemean Lion. It was believed that the lion was invulnerable and impossible to kill, the lion was so terrifying that even Heracles was unsure whether or not he was able to defeat the beast. In the end, Heracles did kill the lion and was immortalized for his feats of heroism, and this is the myth’s connection to the Great Work. One interpretation of the Great Work, within the Western Esoteric Tradition, is the work which has been accomplished by all the great mages, artists, alchemists, philosophers, poets and writers, wherein those who have accomplished it, have been recognized and immortalized for their contributions to humanity. This is represented by the fact that in ancient Greek artwork, Heracles is always depicted with the Nemean Lion’s pelt around his waist. This was done so that he was instantly recognized by everyone and remembered for the Great Work he achieved, known as the Herculean Tasks.

“Love is the law, love under will.”

The Hanged Man:

 

The Hanged Man:

“Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.”

The 23^rd path on the Tree of Life is associated to the letter Mem and the element of Water, the Tarot card corresponding to this path is The Hanged Man and is sometimes called The Drowned Man. This card is symbolic of initiation and death, it represents the necessity for accepting the current circumstances and urges introspection, which is about all that would yield results under such circumstances. The Yetziratic attribution for this path is Stable Intelligence, it is the path leading from Geburah to Hod, this indicates a need for change as Mem is Water and the path connects Mars and Mercury, this reminds us of Aleph, Mem and Shin, which are the three Mother Letters of the Hebrew alphabet and the Primordial Elements of the universe from which stems creation. Hod is Water and Mem is Water, but the Fire of Geburah serves to condense Water along this path and is thus symbolic of the transmutation of the Soul. The paralyzed depiction of the Hanged Man illustrates this state of disunion that need to be overcome, as it indicates the loss of control which is indicative of the will. This would indicate the nature of the path of return as leading towards the initial union, and the card's association with death and disunion, and the card being a representation of the ordeal of attainment. Therefore, this card symbolizes quite a struggle and there is noticeable disunion along this path, and a need to bring the situation into balance, if possible. Fire turns Water into steam or Air, wherefrom as it cools it is crystallized into Matter (Earth), this is the way these elements correspond to the ineffable name. But for The Hanged Man, who experiences this as a Microcosm, it is a terrible ordeal, as it is a breaking away from Matter, which is the place from whence he came. So, it becomes a great struggle to bring the elements back into union and bring balance back into the world of matter, whereby the Soul is congealed. Thus, in the sense that it is associated with the Stone of the Wise, it symbolizes either the transformation or the complete loss of Ego. If the subject is unable to establish himself in the Ethical Triad and reintegrate the Self, he will remain in this state and perish. These elements are also associated with the three alchemical elements, Salt, Sulfur and Mercury and so the initiation clearly presented in the symbolism of the card, is the transmutation of the Philosopher’s Stone. It is only by achieving this, that rebirth is possible and the only way out of the paralyzing condition, which the card is indicative of.

The card has the figure of a man hanging upside down and about to be submerged in water, above we see a brilliant light shining down on him, the light has within it a green hue that represents the redeeming quality of Love, known as Grace. The figure is symbolic of the paralysis mentioned above which is caused by disunion and the water is symbolic of the unconscious elements within the psyche that need to be raised into perfect congruence with the Spirit and Intellect (Ego) before the ordeal may pass. The Ankh from which the figure is hanging is another symbol of the Rosy Cross, it must however be kept in mind that this card is symbolic of the old formula of the dying god of the Aeon of Osiris, a formula which has now been corrected in the Aeon of the Crowned and Conquering Child and the attainment no longer depends on the doctrine of self-sacrifice or self-denial as martyrdom. His body is contorted in the shape of the alchemical symbol of sulfur, as the soul, which is in disunion, that through this process is being transmuted and congealed, these unconscious elements of the psyche are also indicated by the water beneath him. The serpent below him is symbolic of the intellect and a new awareness, as the adept is reintegrating the ego and establishing himself in Tiphareth. It is only by uniting these two elements that the Magickal Childe may be born. This is only possible as the result of the influence of the Spirit shining down on the victim, whereby all these elements are united in Love, symbolized by the green that permeates the entire card, serving as the connection between Man and Spirit, whereby the Great Work is brought to completion and union is attained.

“It is notable that there is an apparent increase of darkness and solidity in proportion as the redeeming element manifests itself; but the colour of green is the colour of Venus, of the hope that lies in love. That depends upon the formulation of the Rose and Cross, of the annihilation of self in the Beloved, the condition of progress. In this inferior darkness of death, the serpent of new life begins to stir.”

Aleister Crowley: The Book of Thoth

“Love is the law, love under will.”

Theurgy of Iamblichus Part 10:

 

Theurgy of Iamblichus Part 10:

“Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.”

“…the person who has learned the scheme of his nativity, and so knowing his own demon is liberated from fate, is truly favored by divinity.” Porphyry

“For if the demon has been assigned to us from the scheme of nativity, and we may find him from that, how are we released from fate through the knowledge that the demon was given to us according to fate?”

The Holy Guardian Angel does not liberate us from the bonds of karma, instead, fate and karmic circumstances that have been inherited through incarnation are seen in a new light, wherein the causes of things are accurately intuited and understood. By becoming aware of our essential nature, karma may be better understood, our Holy Guardian Angels according to some people is Atman and so it is the awakening of this omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent eternal self that leads to Knowledge and Conversation. That doesn’t in any way indicate that the attainment will liberate us from karma or fate, however, it may lead to greater understanding of the nature of our fate and karma.

“Hence the things now uttered by thee not only conflict with themselves, but they are also at variance with the truth; seeing that the personal demon does not by any means come to everyone by the scheme of his peculiar nativity. On the other hand, its origin, which we will hereafter set forth, was older than this.”

Along with Hadit, the Holy Guardian Angel precedes incarnation and these are the only two constants, therefore our fate in this incarnation is wholly tied up in this life and has very little to do with the essential natures of our angels, although certain aspects of this may be found by studying the nature of our nativity via astrology, the truth is that this angel has been with us since the first incarnation wherein we experienced consciousness and will be there until the end, thus it is not subject to or much concerned with fate in the same way that we are bound by fate in this life.

“If, however it is necessary to reveal to thee the true doctrine in relation to the personal demon let me say this: It is not from one part in the sky, nor from any individual element of the objects that are visible, that he is assigned to us. But there is from the whole world and the various kinds of life in it, and the various kinds of body by which the soul comes down into generated existence, an allotted portion, all our own, divided among us to each of the distinctive qualities in us, which distribution is made according to the ruling disposition of each individual.”

The Holy Guardian Angel is the sum total of the best in us, that which through incarnations have been developed to establish in each person their own uniqueness. Thus, once Knowledge and Conversation is attained it is the Holy Guardian Angel that becomes the vehicle for the True Will, as being those characteristics that have been perfected and through Knowledge and Conversation have found a means of consciously expressing perfection.

“The demon therefore, is present as exemplar before the souls descend into the realm of generated existence. As soon as the soul chooses him for leader the demon immediately comes into charge of the completing of its vital endowments, and when it descends into the body, unites it with the body, and becomes the guardian of its common living principal.”

The Holy Guardian Angel through its superior nature governs what endowments are attracted to the soul or the astral body, this happens by being attracted to that which is sympathetic to its nature. So, naturally, the older the angel the more-pure will be its form, as only that which has been most highly developed through previous incarnations forms part of this body and that which in harmony is attracted and has the chance of so being congealed in life. The intensity of Knowledge and Conversation logically is determined by karma and that the True Will is not short-hand for preternatural communication, but that all may attain to it, but that not all may become mediums of divine inspiration, which is determined by the nature of the angel.

“He guides human beings thus continually till through the sacred Theurgic discipline we shall obtain a god to be guardian and leader of the soul. For then he gives place to the superior, or delivers over the superintendence, or becomes subject, as a tributary, to him, or in some other way is servant to him as to an Overlord.”

“Is a God to live in a dog? No! but the highest are of us. They shall rejoice, our chosen, who sorroweth is not of us.” Liber AL II,19

The idea of Theurgy is to make contact with preternatural intelligence so that we may show the beauty of the gods to the world. This cannot be done unless one has attained Knowledge and Conversation, and once it has been attained the soul gives itself over to the influence of what could be called a god or the Secret Chiefs as they are known in Thelema. I believe that Crowley was throughout his life conversant with more than one of these Secret Chiefs. However, in Crowley’s case the best known of these is Aiwass who dictated to him the Book of the Law. As per Iamblichus, once Knowledge and Conversation is achieved it is the aim of Theurgy to give over the superintendence of the soul to a god, something that before this awakening was the responsibility of the Holy Guardian Angel, which guided the evolution of the soul through incarnations, until finally, in its perfected state, Knowledge and Conversation is possible and preternatural communication is attainable.

“From these facts I may easily reply to your next question. For the personal demon does not “preside over specific regions in us,” but simply over all at once.”

“Accordingly it is not right to define ”one demon as guardian of the body, another of the soul, and another of the mind.”

The soul in the above quote may be called the astral body or the unconscious, the harmonizing and congealing of these perfected parts is what gives way to Knowledge and Conversation, the soul may then be seen as all of these parts working together as a unified whole under the guardianship of the Holy Guardian Angel. Only once this union is achieved is there any chance of success in Theurgic operation.

“There is accordingly, one personal guardian demon for every one of us. It is not right to assume that it is common to everyone, or that it is common at all. But only that it is present with every individual as his own.”

Although there has been assigned a Guardian Angel to every one of us, only some angels have matured enough to carry the torch of the gods to illuminate this world. The nature of one’s angel may be found within the context of our own uniqueness, those things that make one an individual. Things like talents; and interests that one has been unconsciously drawn to, and those things of beauty that speak to our souls, are all indicators of the nature of our True Wills as it pertains to the nature of our angels. Thus, our relationship with our Holy Guardian Angels may be cultivated by contemplating the nature of beauty and our unique relationships to it.

“Love is the law, love under will.”

Theurgy of Iamblichus Part 9:

 

Theurgy of Iamblichus Part 9:

“Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.”

“Let no one be surprised even though we say that there is a certain matter that is pure and divine. For it originates from the Father and Demiurgos of the universe and possesses a completeness of its own suitable for a receptacle of gods. At the same time nothing obstructs the superior races from being able to illuminate the lower orders from their own substance. Nor does anything hold matter back from participating of the superior natures. So far as it is perfect, pure and evidently good it is not an unsuitable receptacle of the gods.”

Material sacrifices at Theurgic rites are prepared in such a way that they are made to be in harmony with the nature of the celestial races. Theurgy is hence a means of joining the corporeal and the incorporeal and creating a dialogue between the soul and the gods. Sacrifices in these ceremonies play a major role for accomplishing this as they speak to the noetic faculty directly as their nature is already in harmony with the physical, emotional and intellective components of the participants, and as these sacrifices also hold within them symbols that are only unconsciously perceptible, they also serve to make the participants receptive to the Light. They are employed as vehicles for creating the inner dialogue that may drive the participants to reach the heavens and unite with the gods, raising them to ecstasy via this expansion.

“The Theurgic discipline, therefore, recognizing these things and thus discovering with others the suitable receptacles of the gods according to the individual peculiarity of each, often joins together stones, plants, animals and sacred aromatics, perfect and godlike and afterward forms from all these a receptacle complete and pure.”

The aim being success, contemplation and observing ethics is necessarily not enough. The Theurgist thus uses every mode of symbolism at his disposal to enliven the soul by means of Celestial Fire to unite with the gods. Therefore, studying the symbolism and becoming proficient in the art of sacrifice is of major importance to the Theurgist, as matter is the first separation and connection between mankind and the gods. Thus, by purifying matter and harmonizing it to the nature of the gods, we change its perceived nature by allying it to the nature of the soul and the gods, so that we may know the divine in matter and connect entirely with the Celestial Natures.

“No sacred performance takes place properly, without the supplications in the prayers. But continual exercise in them nourishes our mind and spiritual nature, makes the reception chambers of the soul vastly more spacious for the gods, opens the arcana of the gods to human beings, accustoms us to the irradiations of the Light, and to degrees perfects the qualities within us to conjoining with the gods, brings us back again to the very summit.”

We do not think in words, thoughts are expressed in words but a thought is a visual representation of an idea. The symbolism found in prayers are full of vivid imagery that may be likened to the Ideal Forms of Platonism hence giving it the anagogic quality necessary for enlivening the spirit. Through daily observance of these prayers, one is becoming accustomed to the influx of the Light by bringing the soul into closer relationship with the Light where in all is connected and through which final union is attainable. This accustomization is necessary, as it is only through systematic degrees that the soul may be made ready for the influx of the Light that results in union with the gods. Thus, it is via this practical means, being the daily observation of prayer that we are made perfect and worthy for communion with the gods.

“It likewise augments the divine love and lights up the divine quality of the soul. It also cleanses away everything from the soul that is of a contrary character, and removes whatever about it is of an eather like character and luminant spirit as far as it is allied to the sphere of generated existence. It likewise makes perfect a good hope and confidence in respect to the Light, and, in short, brings to perfection those who are exercised in these disciplines, so that we may call them Companions of the Gods.”

Firstly, the goal is not to escape material existence but to bring the light’s inspiration down into matter thus transforming it by showing the beauty of the gods, this beauty is certainly found in prayers and texts such as The Holy Books of Thelema and it is by studying, memorizing and reciting these texts that we are raised to perfection and the soul is congealed, or in other words the Stone of the Wise is transmuted. This is the Great Work, and it is only once perfection is attained that an individual has the capacity for the divine communion, which in Thelema is called Knowledge and Conversation and the realization of the Great Work, which is guided by the True Will, being an individual’s expression of his unique relationship with the gods. 

"The Theurgic priest through the power of ineffable emblems, commands the cosmic spirits, not as a human being nor as making use of a human soul. On the other hand, as one preexisting in the order of gods, he makes use of threatenings more terrible than he can make from his own being alone."

When in these rites the Theurgist makes use of threats aimed at demons, he is acting in union with the Demiurge and not merely having been raised to union with the gods but is acting as an agent of the Logos. He demands obedience from the demons by employing ineffable symbols, these along with the affirmations present in the prayers all serve to raise his rank and status in light of the operation. Whereby he may with confidence utter the threats and curses when conversing with the race of demons. The Theurgist is not merely claiming through this drama to be a prophet of god, but is affirming his status as a god, this is validated for the Theurgist via the symbols and sacrifices that have raised his consciousness to such a level, by expanding and uniting all parts of his being, that he is indeed at this point of the ritual one of the gods.

"...I say, in the ineffable symbols being preserved occult and in the unutterable essence of the gods never being repressed by the contrary allotment---this is not endurable even by sound for the demons to listen to that belong around the earth, namely: that they are diverse in quality, or that they are unhallowed beings, and that on this account such a style of threatening words has a certain appropriateness to them. No one, however utters a threat to the gods, nor is any such mode of prayer addressed to them."

The symbols used that are ineffable are essentially incorruptible, as they have been received via the method of Theurgy and have been kept away from the profane and is the reason for their effectiveness. As demons are the first of the celestial races, their invocation naturally follows the sacrifices at the start of the operation, and since they are tied into our lower natures, threats are perfectly suited for commanding their obedience in these operations.

"It receives a word or command from another, but it neither makes use of intelligence of its own, nor distinguishes the true and the false, or the possible or impossible. Such a race of beings when threats are held over them incessantly, are thrown into agitation and filled with amazement."

The demons must be brought under the control of the will, and it is only by conscious effort that this is achieved. The threats and commands work as demons have no will of their own and depend on the intelligence and will of the magician to be animated into action. This is a very important point and also illustrates why it is important for us to control our thoughts, as thoughts are what give fire to these spirits and leads us to action. So, whether employing the formula in this essay and threatening the spirits or not, the magician is a god compared to the demons, and so the threats, commands and curses are rather meant to establish this fact firmly in the mind of the Theurgist and is not meant to be a form of self-deceit, but by doing so the Theurgist is affirming his rank within the hierarchy.      

 

“Love is the law, love under will.”