Aleister Crowley - The Collected Works of Aleister Crowley

Proof is only possible in mathematics, and mathematics is only a matter of arbitrary conventions.

And yet doubt is a good servant but a bad master ; a perfect mistress, but a nagging wife.

“ White is white ” is the lash of the overseer : “ white is black ” is the watchword of the slave. The Master takes no heed.

The Chinese cannot help thinking that the octave has 5 notes.

The more necessary anything appears to my mind, the more certain it is that I only assert a limitation.

I slept with Faith, and found a corpse in my arms on awaking ; I drank and danced all night with Doubt, and found her a virgin in the morning.

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The cause of sorrow is the desire of the One to the Many, or of the Many to the One. This also is the cause of joy.

But the desire of one to another is all of sorrow ; its birth is hunger, and its death satiety.

The desire of the moth for the star at least saves him satiety.

Hunger thou, O man, for the infinite : be insatiable even for the finite ; thus at The End shalt thou devour the finite, and become the infinite.

Be thou more greedy that the shark, more full of yearning than the wind among the pines.

The weary pilgrim struggles on ; the satiated pilgrim stops.

The road winds uphill : all law, all nature must be overcome.

Do this by virtue of THAT in thyself before which law and nature are but shadows.

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Asana gets rid of Anatomy-consciousness.

} Involuntary ‘ Breaks ’

Pranayama gets rid of Physiology-consciousness.

}Voluntary ‘ Breaks ’

Yama and Niyama get rid of Ethical consciousness.

Pratyhara gets rid of the Objective.

Dharana gets rid of the Subjective.

Dhyana gets rid of the Ego.

Samadhi gets rid of the Soul Impersonal.

Asana destroys the static body (Nama).

Pranayama destroys the dynamic body (Rupa).

}(Vedana).

Yama destroys the emotions.

Niyama destroys the passions.

Dharana destroys the perceptions (Sanna).

Dhyana destroys the tendencies (Sankhara).

Samadhi destroys the consciousness (Vinnanam).

Homard à la Thermidor destroys the digestion.

The last of these facts is the one of which I am most certain.

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The early bird catches the worm and the twelve-year old prostitute attracts the ambassador.

Neglect not the dawn-meditation !

The first plovers’ eggs fetch the highest prices ; the flower of virginity is esteemed by the pandar.

Neglect not the dawn-meditation !

Early to bed and early to rise

Makes a man healthy and wealthy and wise :

But late to watch and early to pray

Brings him across The Abyss, they say.

Neglect not the dawn-meditation !

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Seven are the veils of the dancing-girl in the harem of IT.

Seven are the names, and seven are the lamps beside Her bed.

Seven eunuchs guard Her with drawn swords ; No Man may come nigh unto Her.

In Her wine-cup are seven streams of the blood of the Seven Spirits of God.

Seven are the heads of THE BEAST whereon She rideth.

The head of an Angel : the head of a Saint : the head of a Poet : the head of An Adulterous Woman : the head of a Man of Valour : the head of a Satyr : and the head of a Lion-Serpent.

Seven letters hath Her holiest name ; and it is

This is the Seal upon the Ring that is on the Forefinger of IT : and it is the Seal upon the Tombs of them whom She hath slain.

Here is Wisdom. Let Him that hath Understanding count the Number of Our Lady ; for it is the Number of a Woman ; and Her Number is

An Hundred and Fifty and Six.

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In the forest God met the Stag-beetle. “ Hold ! Worship me !” quoth God. “ For I am All- Great, All-Good, All Wise . . . . . . . . . . . . The stars are but sparks from the forges of My smiths . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .”

“ Yea, verily and Amen,” said the Stag-beetle, “ all this do I believe, and that devoutly.”

“ Then why do you not worship Me?”

“ Because I am real and you are only imaginary.”

But the leaves of the forest rustled with the laughter of the wind.

Said Wind and Wood : “ They neither of them know anything !”

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Doubt.

Doubt thyself.

Doubt even if thou doubtest thyself.

Doubt all.

Doubt even if thou doubtest all.

It seems sometimes as if beneath all conscious doubt there lay some deepest certainty. O kill it ! Slay the snake !

The horn of the Doubt-Goat be exalted !

Dive deeper, ever deeper, into the Abyss of Mind, until thou unearth the fox THAT. On, hounds ! Yoicks ! Tally-ho ! Bring THAT to bay !

Then, wind the Mort !

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Fourscore and eleven books wrote I ; in each did I expound THE GREAT WORK fully, from The beginning even unto The End thereof.

Then at last came certain men unto me, saying : O Master ! Expound thou THE GREAT WORK unto us, O Master !

And I held my peace.

O generation of gossipers ! who shall deliver you from the Wrath that is fallen upon you?

O Babblers, Prattlers, Talkers, Loquacious Ones, Tatlers, Chewers of the Red Rag that inflameth Apis the Redeemer to fury, learn first what is Work ! and THE GREAT WORK is not so far beyond !

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Once round the meadow. Brother, does the hazel twig dip?

Twice round the orchard. Brother, does the hazel twig dip?

Thrice round the paddock. Highly, lowly, wily, holy, dip, dip, dip !

Then neighed the horse in the paddock—and lo ! its wings.

For whoso findeth the SPRING beneath the earth maketh the treaders-of-earth to course the heavens.

This SPRING is threefold ; of water, but also of steel, and of the seasons.

Also this PADDOCK is the Toad that hath the jewel between his eyes—Aum Mani Padmen Hum ! (Keep us from Evil !)

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Five and forty apprentice masons out of work !

Fifteen fellow-craftsmen out of work !

Three Master Masons out of work !

All these sat on their haunches waiting The Report of the Sojourner ; for THE WORD was lost.

This is the Report of the Sojourners : THE WORD was LOVE ; 23and its number is An Hundred and Eleven.

Then said each AMO ; 24for its number is An Hundred and Eleven.

Each took the Trowel from his LAP, 25whose number is An Hundred and Eleven.

Each called moreover on the Goddess NINA, 26for Her number is An Hundred and Eleven.

Yet with all this went The Work awry ; for THE WORD OF THE LAW IS ΘΕΛΗΜΑ.

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The One Thought vanished ; all my mind was torn to rags : —— nay ! nay ! my head was mashed into wood pulp, and thereon the Daily Newspaper was printed.

Thus wrote I, since my One Love was torn from me. I cannot work : I cannot think : I seek distraction here : I seek distraction there : but this is all my truth, that I who love have lost ; and how may I regain ?