Chapter II
1. "Cf." I. 1. As Had, the root of Hadit, is the manifestation of Nuit, so Nu, the root of Nuit, is the hiding of Hadit.
2. Nuit is Infinite Extension; Hadit Infinite Contraction. Khabs is the House of Hadit, even as Nuit is the house of the Khu, and the Khabs is in the Khu (I, 8). These theologies reflect mystic experiences of Infinite Contraction and Expansion, while philosophically they are the two opposing Infinites whose interplay gives Finity.
3. A further development of higher meaning. In phrasing this verse suggests an old mystical definition of God: "He Whose centre is everywhere and Whose circumference nowhere."
4. The circumference of Nuit touches Ra-Hoor-Khuit, Kether; but her centre Hadit is for ever concealed above Kether. Is not Nu the "Hiding" of {393} Hadit, and Had the "Manifestation" of Nuit? [I later, Sun in Libra, An VII., dislike this note; and refer the student to Liber XI. and Liber DLV.]
5. A reference to certain magical formulae known to the scribe of this book. The purification of said rituals is in progress at this time, An V.
6. Hadit is the Ego or Atman in everything, but of course a loftier and more secret thing than anything understood by the Hindus. And of course the distinction between Ego and Ego is illusion. Hence Hadit, who is the life of all that is, if known, becomes the death of that individuality.
7. Hadit is both the Maker of Illusion and its destroyer. For though His interplay with Nuit results in the production of the Finite, yet His withdrawing into Himself is the destruction thereof.
"The axle of the wheel," another way of saying that He is the Core of Things.
"The cube in the Circle." "Cf." Liber 418, "The Vision and the Voice," 30th AEthyr.
"Come unto me" is a foolish word; for it is I that go. That is, Hadit is everywhere; yet, being sought, he flies. The Ego cannot be found, as meditation will show.
8. He is symbolised by Harpocrates, crowned child upon the lotus, whose shadow is called Silence.
Yet His Silence is the Act of Adoration; not the dumb callousness of heaven toward man, but the supreme ritual, the Silence of the supreme Orgasm, the stilling of all Voices in the perfect rapture.
9. Hence we pass naturally and easily to the sublime optimism of Verse 9. The lie is given to pessimism, not by sophistry, but by a direct knowledge.
10. The prophet who wrote this was at this point angrily unwilling to proceed.
11. He was compelled to do so,
12. For the God was in him, albeit he knew it not.
13. For so long as any knower remains, there is no thing known. Knowledge is the loss of the Knower in the Known. "And me" (not "and I"), Hadit was the passive, which could not arise because of the existence of the Knower; "and" implying further the duality—which is Ignorance.
14. Enough has been said of the Nature of Hadit, now let a riddle of L.V.X. be propounded.
15. I am perfect, being Not (31 HB:LA or 61 HB:AYN).
My number is Nine by the fools (IX. the Hermit of Virgo and Mercury).
With the just I am Eight. VIII., Justice Libra Maat HB:L, and One in Eight, HB:A.
Which is Vital, for I am None indeed, HB:LA.
The Empress HB:D III., the King HB:H IV., are not of me. III. + IV. = VII. {394}
16. I am the Empress and the Hierophant (HB:V V.) III. + V. = VIII., and VIII. is XI., both because of the 11 letters in Abrahadabra ( = 418 = HB:ChYTh = HB:Ch = 8), the Key Word of all this ritual, and because VIII. is not Leo, Strength, but Libra, Justice, in the Tarot (see Tarot Lecture and 777).
17-21. This passage was again very painful to the prophet, who took it in its literal sense.
But "the poor and the outcast" are the petty thoughts and the qliphothic thoughts and the sad thoughts. These must be rooted out, or the ecstasy of Hadit is not in us. They are the weeds in the Garden that starve the Flower.
22. Hadit now identifies himself with the Kundalini, the central magical force in man.
This privilege of using wine and strange drugs has been confirmed; the drugs were indeed revealed.
Follows a curse against the cringing altruism of Christianity, the yielding of the self to external impressions, the smothering of the Babe of Bliss beneath the flabby old nurse Convention.
23. The Atheism of God.
"Allah's the Atheist! he owns
No Allah." Bagh-i-Muattar.
To admit God is to look up to God, and so not to be God. The curse of duality.
24. Hermits—see "v." 15.
Our ascetics enjoy, govern, conquer, love, and are not to quarrel (but see vv. 59, 60—Even their combats are glorious).
25. The cant of democracy condemned. It is useless to pretend that men are equal; the facts are against it. And we are not going to stay, dull and contented as oxen, in the ruck of humanity.
26. The Kundalini again. The mystic Union is to be practised both with Spirit and with Matter.
27. The importance of failing to interpret these verses. Unspirituality leads us to the bird-lime of Intellect. The Hawk must not perch on any earthly bough, but remain poised in the ether.
28-31. The great Curse pronounced by the Supernals against the Inferiors who arise against them.
Our reasoning faculties are the toils of the labyrinth within which we are all caught. "Cf." Lib. LXV. V. 59.
32. We have insufficient data on which to reason.
This passage only applies to "rational" criticism of the Things Beyond.
33. We pass from the wandering in the jungle of Reason to {395}
34. The Awakening.
35. Let us be practical persons, not babblers of gossip and platitude.
36-43. A crescendo of ecstasy in the mere thought of performing these rituals; which are in preparation under the great guidance of V.V.V.V.V.
44. Without fear rejoice; death is only a dissolution, a uniting of Hadit with Nu, the Ego with the All, HB:Y with HB:A. (Note HB:Y 10 + HB:A 1 = 11, Abrahadabra, the Word of Uniting the 5 and the 6.)
45. Those without our circle of ecstasy do indeed die. Earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust.
46. The prophet was again perplexed and troubled; for in his soul was Compassion for all beings.
But though this Compassion is a feeling perhaps admirable and necessary for mortals, yet it pertains to the planes of Illusion.
47. Hadit knows nothing of these things; He is pure ecstasy.
48. Hadit has never defiled His purity with the Illusions of Sorrow, etc. Even love and pity for the fallen is an identification with it (sympathy, from συν παθειν), and therefore a contamination.
49. Continues the curse against the slave-soul.
"Amen." This is of the 4, "i.e." should be spelt with 4 letters (the elements), HB:AMThSh not HB:AMN. The fifth, who is invisible, is HB:a'a, 70, the Eye. Now HB:AMThSh = 741 + 70 = 811 = IAO IN GREEK, and IAO is the Greek form of HB:YHVHH, the synthesis of the 4 elements HB:ABThSh.
(This HB:a'a is perhaps the O. in N.O.X., Liber VII. I. 40.)
50 "Cf." I. 60.
51. Purple—the ultra-violet ("v." 51), the most positive of the colours.
Green—the most negative of the colours, half-way in the spectrum.
The Magical Image of Hadit is therefore an Eye within a coiled serpent, gleaming red—the spiritual red of HB:Sh and not mere Fire—at the apex of the Triangle in the half circle of Nuit's Body, and shedding spangles as of the spectrum of eight colours, including the ultra-violet but not the ultra-red; and
52. Set above a black Veil.
This verse is very difficult for anyone, either with or without morality. For what men nowadays call "Vice" is really virtue—virtus, manliness—and "Virtue"—cowardice, hypocrisy, prudery, chastity, and so on are really vices—vitia, flaws.
53. But the prophet again disliked the writing. The God comforted him.
Also he prophesied of his immediate future, which was fulfilled, and is still being fulfilled at the time (An V., Sun in 20 Degree Cancer) of this writing. Even more marked now (An VII., Sun in Libra), especially these words, "I lift thee up."
54. The triumph over the rationalists predicted. {396}
The punctuation of this book was done after its writing; at the time it was mere hurried scribble from dictation.
See the MS. facsimile.
55. done. See Liber Trigrammaton, Comment.
56. The God again identifies himself with essential ecstasy. He wants no reverence, but identity.
57. A quotation from the Apocalypse. This God is not a Redeemer: He is Himself. You cannot worship Him, or seek Him—He is He. And if thou be He, well.
58. Yet it does not follow that He (and His) must appear joyous. They may assume the disguise of sorrow.
59. Yet, being indeed invulnerable, one need not fear for them.
60. Hit out indiscriminately therefore. The fittest will survive.
This doctrine is therefore contrary to that of Gallio, or of Buddha.
61. At the ecstasy of this thought the prophet was rapt away by the God. First came a new strange light, His herald.
62. Next, as Hadit himself, did he know the athletic rapture of Nuit's embrace.
63. Each breath, as he drew it in, was an orgasm; each breath, as it went out, was a new dissolution into death.
Note that throughout these books death is always spoken of as a definite experience, a delightful event in one's career.
64. The prophet is now completely swallowed up in the ecstasy. Then he is hailed by the Gods, and bidden to write on.
65, 66. The division of consciousness having re-arisen, and been asserted the God continues, and prophesies—of that which I cannot comment.
The ecstasy rekindles,
67, 68. So violently that the body of the prophet is nigh death.
69. The prophet's own consciousness re-awakens. He no longer knows anything at all—then grows the memory of the inspiration past; he asks if it is all.
[It is evidently his own interpolation in the dictation.]
70. Also he has the human feeling of failure. It seems that he must fortify his nature in many other ways, in order that he may endure the ecstasy unbearable of mortals.
There is also a charge that other than physical considerations obtain.
71. Yet excess is the secret of success.
72. There is no end to the Path—death itself crowns all.
73, 74. Yet death is forbidden: work, I suppose, must be done before it is earned; its splendour will increase with the years that it is longed for. {397}
75, 76. A final revelation. The revealer to come is perhaps the one mentioned in I. 55 and III. 47. The verse goes on to urge the prophet to identify himself with Hadit, to practise the Union with Nu, and to proclaim this joyful revelation unto men.
77, 78. Though the prophet had in a way at this time identified himself with the number 666, he considered the magic square drawn therefrom rather silly and artificial, if indeed it had yet been devised, on which point he is uncertain.
The true Square is as follows:
[It follows when it is discovered!]
The House of the Prophet, not named by him, was chosen by him before he attached any meaning to the number 418; nor had he thought of attaching any importance to the name of the House. He supposed this passage to be mystical, or to refer to some future house.
Yet on trial we obtain at once
HB:BVLShKY = 418
79. So mote it be!
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