I fly and I alight as an hawk: of mother-of-emerald are my
mighty-sweeping wings.
I swoop down upon the black earth; and it gladdens into green
at my coming.
Children of Earth! rejoice! rejoice exceedingly; for your
salvation is at hand.
The end of sorrow is come; I will ravish you away into mine
unutterable joy.
I will kiss you, and bring you to the bridal: I will spread
a feast before you in the house of happiness.
I am not come to rebuke you, or to enslave you.
I bid you not turn from your voluptuous ways, from your idleness,
from your follies.
But I bring you joy to your pleasure, peace to your languor,
wisdom to your folly.
All that ye do is right, if so be that ye enjoy it.
I am come against sorrow, against weariness, against them
that seek to enslave you.
I pour you lustral wine, that giveth you delight both at
the sunset and the dawn.
Come with me, and I will give you all that is desirable upon
the earth.
Because I give you that of which Earth and its joys are but
as shadows.
They flee away, but my joy abideth even unto the end.
I have hidden myself beneath a mask: I am a black and terrible
God.
With courage conquering fear shall ye approach me: ye shall
lay down your heads upon mine altar, expecting the sweep of the
sword.
But the first kiss of love shall be radiant on your lips;
and all my darkness and terror shall turn to light and joy.
Only those who fear shall fail. Those who have bent their
backs to the yoke of slavery until they can no longer stand upright;
them will I despise.
But you who have defied the law; you who have conquered by
subtlety or force; you will I take unto me, even I will take
you unto me.
I ask you to sacrifice nothing at mine altar; I am the God
who giveth all.
Light, Life, Love; Force, Fantasy, Fire; these do I bring
you: mine hands are full of these.
There is joy in the setting-out; there is joy in the journey;
there is joy in the goal.
Only if ye are sorrowful, or weary, or angry, or discomforted;
then ye may know that ye have lost the golden thread, the thread
wherewith I guide you to the heart of the groves of Eleusis.
My disciples are proud and beautiful; they are strong and
swift; they rule their way like mighty conquerors.
The weak, the timid, the imperfect, the cowardly, the poor,
the tearful -- these are mine enemies, and I am come to destroy
them.
This also is compassion: an end to the sickness of earth.
A rooting out of the weeds: a watering of the flowers.
O my children, ye are more beautiful than the flowers: ye
must not fade in your season.
I love you; I would sprinkle you with the divine dew of immortality.
This immortality is no vain hope beyond the grave: I offer
you the certain consciousness of bliss.
I offer it at once, on earth; before an hour hath struck
upon the bell, ye shall be with Me in the Abodes that are beyond
Decay.
Also I give you power earthly and joy earthly; wealth, and
health, and length of days. Adoration and love shall cling to
your feet, and twine around your heart.
Only your mouths shall drink of a delicious wine -- the wine
of Iacchus; they shall reach ever to the heavenly kiss of the
Beautiful God.
I reveal unto you a great mystery. Ye stand between the abyss
of height and the abyss of depth.
In either awaits you a Companion; and that Companion is Yourself.
Ye can have no other Companion.
Many have arisen, being wise. They have said "Seek out
the glittering Image in the place ever golden, and unite yourselves
with It."
Many have arisen, being foolish. They have said, "Stoop
down unto the darkly splendid world, and be wedded to that Blind
Creature of the Slime."
I who am beyond Wisdom and Folly, arise and say unto you:
achieve both weddings! Unite yourselves with both!
Beware, beware, I say, lest ye seek after the one and lose
the other!
My adepts stand upright; their head above the heavens, their
feet below the hells.
But since one is naturally attracted to the Angel, another
to the Demon, let the first strengthen the lower link, the last
attach more firmly to the higher.
Thus shall equilibrium become perfect. I will aid my disciples;
as fast as they acquire this balanced power and joy so faster
will I push them.
They shall in their turn speak from this Invisible Throne;
their words shall illumine the worlds.
They shall be masters of majesty and might; they shall be
beautiful and joyous; they shall be clothed with victory and
splendour; they shall stand upon the firm foundation; the kingdom
shall be theirs; yea, the kingdom shall be theirs.
In the name of the Lord of Initiation. Amen.
RESPONSORY
With courage conquering fear shall ye approach me: ye shall
lay down your heads upon mine altar, expecting the sweep of the
sword.
--- My blood shall stain Thy
fiery feet with litanies of Love in Anguish.
But the first kiss of love shall be radiant on your lips;
and all my darkness ant terror shall turn to light and joy.