(28) Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.

(42) Leaf 26. This page, which concludes that part of the Hermetic manuscript bearing the symbols of the Secret Work, contains a number of emblems not directly correlated. At the top is the head of the King--the most common of alchemical figures. To the right of the King is an alchemical vessel designated the Hermetic Seal. Below is the head of a ferocious bird, here designated a griffon. To the left of the King is a headless figure elevating a Sun, or spiritual face. This figure is the world, which must be headless, since its spiritual and rational part is not material and consequently, is invisible. Below is a circle unaccompanied by descriptive matter. Directly under the King's head is a vase of flowers, in which rises the golden plant of the Philosophers. At the bottom of the page is additional alchemical equipment, this also being termed a Hermetic Seal.

THE holy king of Gods and men I call, Celestial Law, the righteous seal of all; The seal which stamps whate'er the earth contains, Nature's firm basis, and the liquid plains: Stable, and starry, of harmonious frame, Preserving laws eternally the same: Thy all-composing pow'r in heaven appears, Connects its frame, and props the starry spheres; And shakes weak Envy with tremendous sound, Toss'd by thy arm in giddy whirls around. 'Tis thine, the life of mortals to defend, And crown existence with a blessed end; For thy command and alone, of all that lives Order and rule to ev'ry dwelling gives: Ever observant of the upright mind, And of just actions the companion kind; Foe to the lawless, with avenging ire, Their steps involving in destruction dire. Come, bless, abundant pow'r, whom all revere, By all desir'd, with favr'ing mind draw near; Give me thro' life, on thee to fix my fight, And ne'er forsake the equal paths of right. Next: LXIV: To Mars Sacred Texts | Classics « Previous: The Initiations of Orpheus: LXII: To Equity Index Next: The Initiations of Orpheus: LXIV: To Mars » Sacred Texts | Classics

(8) Something else may also have been shown by the three patriarchs, namely, that the sure seal of knowledge is composed of nature, of education, and exercise.

(1) BUT since whatever we have to say on these matters has reached, in my opinion, a fitting conclusion, we must sing Him of endless names, both as Holy of Holies and King of Kings; and as ruling eternity and for ever and beyond, and as Lord of Lords, and God of Gods. And first we must say, what we think Holiness Itself is; and what Kingdom, and what Lordship, and what Divinity, and what the Oracles wish to denote by the duplication of the names.

(15) The seven stars carried by this immense Being in his right hand are the Governors of the world; the flaming sword issuing from his mouth is the Creative Fiat, or Word of Power, by which the illusion of material permanence is slain. Here also is represented, in all his symbolic splendor, the hierophant of the Phrygian Mysteries, his various insignia emblematic of his divine attributes. Seven priests bearing lamps are his attendants and the stars carried in his hand are the seven schools of the Mysteries whose power he administers. As one born again out of spiritual darkness, into perfect wisdom, this archimagus is made to say: "I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive forever more, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death."

(42) Evidence points to the existence of a group of wise and illustrious Fratres who assumed the responsibility of publishing and preserving for future generations the choicest of the secret books of the ancients, together with certain other documents which they themselves had prepared. That future members of their fraternity might not only identify these volumes bur also immediately note the significant passages, words, chapters, or sections therein, they created a symbolic alphabet of hieroglyphic designs. By means of a certain key and order, the discerning few were thus enabled to find that wisdom by which a man is "raised" to an illumined life.

(16) The second type was that of a T, or TAU, cross surmounted by a circle, often foreshortened to the form of an upright oval. This was called by the ancients the Crux Ansata, or the cross of life . It was the key to the Mysteries of antiquity and it probably gave rise to the more modern story of St. Peter's golden key to heaven. In the Mysteries of Egypt the candidate passed through all forms of actual and imaginary dangers, holding above his head the Crux Ansata, before which the powers of darkness fell back abashed. The student is reminded of the words In hoc signo vinces. The TAU form of the cross is not unlike the seal of Venus, as Richard Payne Knight has noted. He states: "The cross in this form is sometimes observable on coins, and several of them were found in a temple of Serapis [the Serapeum], demolished at the general destruction of those edifices by the Emperor Theodosius, and were said by the Christian antiquaries of that time to signify the future life."

(9) Over all the archons he appointed an Archon with no one commanding him. He is the lord of all of them, that is, the countenance which the Logos brought forth in his thought as a representation of the Father of the Totalities. Therefore, he is adorned with every which a representation of him, since he is characterized by every property and glorious quality. For he too is called "father" and god" and "demiurge" and "king" and "judge" and "place" and "dwelling" and "law."

(4) In these lessons we have followed the example of some of the world's greatest thinkers, both ancient and modern--the Hermetic. Masters--and have called this Underlying Power--this Substantial Reality--by the Hermetic name of "THE ALL," which term we consider the most comprehensive of the many terms applied by Man to THAT which transcends names and terms.

(3) "The seal of thy life [shalt thou set] before thy face

(3) Aristotle in his leisure hours edited and annotated the Iliad of Horner and presented the finished volume to Alexander. This book the young conqueror so highly prized that he carried it with him on all his campaigns. At the time of his triumph over Darius, discovering among the spoils a magnificent, gem-studded casket of unguents, he dumped its contents upon the ground, declaring that at last he had found a case worthy of Aristotle's edition of the Iliad!

(5) it out of the æons of the Fate and lead it up into all the æons [above], it giving to every region its apology and the apology of all the regions and the seals to the tyrants of the king, the Adamas. And it giveth the apology of all the rulers of all the regions of the Left,--whose collective apologies and seals I will one day tell you when I shall tell you the expansion of the universe. "And moreover those receivers lead that soul to the Virgin of Light and that soul giveth the Virgin of Light the seals and the glory of the songs of praise. And the Virgin of Light and also the seven other virgins of the Light together prove that soul and find together their signs in it and their seals and their baptisms and their chrism. And the Virgin of Light sealeth that soul and the receivers of the Light baptize that soul and give it the spiritual chrism; and every one of the virgins of the Light sealeth it with her seals. "And moreover the receivers of the Light hand it over to the great Sabaōth, the Good, who is at the gate of the Life in the region of those of the Right, who is called 'Father.' And that soul giveth him the glory of his songs of praise and his seals and his apologies. And Sabaōth, the Great and Good, sealeth it with his seals. And the soul giveth its science and the glory of the songs of praise and the seals to the whole region of those of the Right. They all seal it with their seals; and Melchisedec, the great Receiver of the Light who is in the region of those of the Right, sealeth that soul and all the receivers of Melchisedec seal that soul and lead it into the Treasury of the Light. "And it giveth the glory and the honour and the laud of the songs of praise and. all the seals of all the regions of the Light. And all those of the region of the Treasury of the Light seal it with their seals and it goeth unto the region of the Inheritance."

(5) And the disciples of Aristotle say that some of their treatises are esoteric, and others common and exoteric. Further, those who instituted the mysteries, being philosophers, buried their doctrines in myths, so as not to be obvious to all. Did they then, by veiling human opinions, prevent the ignorant from handling them; and was it not more beneficial for the holy and blessed contemplation of realities to be concealed? But it was not only the tenets of the Barbarian philosophy, or the Pythagorean myths. But even those myths in Plato (in the Republic, that of Hero the Armenian; and in the Gorgias, that of Aeacus and Rhadamanthus; and in the Phoedo, that of Tartarus; and in the Protagoras, that of Prometheus and Epimetheus; and besides these, that of the war between the Atlantini and the Athenians in the Atlanticum) r are to be expounded allegorically, not absolutely n in all their expressions, but in those which ex press the general sense. And these we shall find indicated by symbols under the veil of allegory. Also the association of Pythagoras, and the twofold intercourse with the associates which designates the majority, hearers (akousmatikoi), and the others that have a genuine attachment to philosophy, disciples (224> aqhmatikoi, yet signified that something was spoken to the multitude, and something concealed from them. Perchance, too, the twofold species of the Peripatetic teaching - that called probable, and that called knowable - came very near the distinction between opinion on the one hand, and glory and truth on the other.

(12) One of the greatest tragedies of the philosophic world was the loss of nearly all of the forty-two books of Hermes mentioned in the foregoing. These books disappeared during the burning of Alexandria, for the Romans--and later the Christians--realized that until these books were eliminated they could never bring the Egyptians into subjection. The volumes which escaped the fire were buried in the desert and their location is now known to only a few initiates of the secret schools.

(6) just sent thee, is the glory of the name of the mystery of the Revealer, which is the First Commandment, and of the mystery of the five Impressions, and of the mystery of the great Envoy of the Ineffable, who is the great Light, and of the mystery of the five Leaders, who are the five Helpers. There is further in this vesture the glory of the name of the mystery of all orders of the emanations of the Treasury of the Light and of their saviours, and [of the mystery] of the orders of the orders, which are the seven Amēns and the seven Voices and the five Trees and the three Amēns and the Twin-saviour, that is the Child of the Child, and of the mystery of the nine guards of the three gates of the Treasury of the Light. There is further therein the whole glory of the name [of all those] which are in the Right, and of all those which are in the Midst. And further there is therein the whole glory of the name of the great Invisible, which is the great Forefather, and the mystery of the three triple-powers and the mystery of their whole region and the mystery of all their invisibles and of all those who are in the thirteenth æon, and the name of the twelve æons and of all their rulers and all their archangels and all their angels and of all those who are in the twelve æons, and the whole mystery of the name of all those who are in the Fate and in all the heavens, and the whole mystery of the name of all those who are in the sphere, and of its firmaments and of all who are in them, and of all their regions. "'Lo, therefore, we have sent thee this vesture, which no one knew from the First Commandment

(6) And yet some one might say the seal is not whole and the same in the images throughout. But of this the seal is not the cause, for it imparts itself all and the same to each; but the difference of the recipients makes the figures dissimilar, since the archetype is one and complete and the same. For instance, if the wax were soft and impressionable, and smooth and unstamped, and neither unimpressionable and hard, nor running and dissolving, it will have the figure clear and sharp and fixed. But if it should lack any of the aforesaid aptitudes, this will be the cause of the non-participative and un-figured and indistinct, and whatever else arises from inaptitude for reception. Further, there is a distinction from the goodly work of God towards us, in that the superessential Word was invested with being amongst us--from us--wholly and truly, and did and suffered whatever things are choice and pre-eminent in His human work of God. For in these, the Father and the Spirit in no respect communicated, except perhaps, one might say, as regards the benign and philanthropic purpose, and as regards all the pre-eminent and unutterable work of God which the unchangeable, qua God and Word of God, did when He had been born amongst us. Thus we, too, strive to unite and distinguish in the Word the things Divine, as the things Divine themselves, are united and distinguished.

(667) 1934 + 1 (Nt. J�quier, XXX 766). O N., take to thee thy head, 1934 + 2 (Nt. 766). to thee thy teeth, to thee thy hair; 1934 + 3 (Nt. 766). thou has opened the neighbouring doors of the people, enduring for ever and ever. 1935-1 (Nt. 766). O N., thou goest forth, thy face towards the sea; 1935-2 (Nt. 766). thou sittest chief of the great ones, with thee; 1935 (Nt. 767). thou hast preserved the sky, thou hast caused the earth to tremble, thou hast protected the imperishable stars. 1936a (N. IX 730). I am come to thee (in) secret places, seeking thee (even) to heaven, 11936b (Nt. 768). but (in) the secret (place) there is no spirit there, 1936b + 1 (Nt. 768). from the peace of heaven to, the peace of earth, 1936b + 2 (Nt. 768). the peace of the two lords (Horus and Set), the peace of high (heaven), the peace of peace. 11936b + 3 (Nt. 768). The mowing of corn (is) for thy wg-feast, 11936b + 4 (Nt. 768). the nri-corn (?) for thy years (livelihood, cf. 1950b); thy white bread, Anubis, for (thy) flat-cakes, and this its dough, 1936b + 5 (Nt. 768-769). thy drink, First of the Westerners, thy warm bread, 1937 (Nt. 769). N., (are) before the gods. 1938a (Nt. 769). O N., raise thyself up, 1938b (Nt. 769). raise thyself from thy left side, put thyself (lit. sit) on thy right side, 1938b + 1 (Nt. 769). sit thou on the seats of R`. 1939-1 (Nt. 769). Purify thy back, even to the vertebrae; let thy hand be upon thine altar, 1939-2 (Nt. 770). thy thousand of bread, thy thousand of beer, thy thousand of cattle, thy thousand of birds, 1939-3 (Nt. 770). thy thousand of all (kinds) of linen, thy thousand of every thing, which the god eats, 1939-4 (Nt. 770). thy thousand of clean (things), also within the dwelling, 1939 (Nt. 771). that thou mayest eat the leg (of meat), that thou mayest pass the cutlet (over thy mouth), that thou mayest devour the double rib, 1939+ 1 (Nt. 771). at the place of slaughter for ever and ever. 1940 (Nt. 771). O N., they defend thy name, with thee. 1940+ 1 (Nt. 771). Thou shalt not speak to them, crying out, 1940+ 2 (Nt. XXX 771). what, say they, is done to thee, 1940+3 (Nt. 772). by "the throne" it was done, sayest thou, 1940+4 (Nt. 772). ss, his grave, ruling his brick, sayest thou. 1940+ 5 (Nt. 772). An offering of his cake (?) in the castle (?). 1940+ 6 (Nt. 772). Hail, he himself (i.e. she herself, the queen)! 1941a (Nt. 772). O N., eat this for thyself alone; 1941b (Nt. 773). thou shalt not give (it) to those people; these by thy side. 1946 + 1 (Nt. 773). O N., this hour of the morning, of this third day, is come, 1941b + 2 (Nt. 773). when thou surely passest on to heaven, together with the stars, the imperishable stars. 1941b + 3 (Nt. 774). O N., be it said to thee: "in peace; 1942a (Nt. 774), thou art beautiful; great is that which thy position does for thee as First of the Westerners." 1942b (Nt. 774). The seated one is put near the king. 1942b + 1 (Nt. 774-775). Thou choosest among (?) the first of thy land those who will make thy halls. Utterance 667 A. 1943a-1 (Nt. 775). To say: It is beautiful to see, it is peaceful to hear that Osiris stands at the door of the gods. 1943a-2 (Nt. 775). Thy sanctuary, N., 1943a-3 (Nt. 775). is to thee as (?) a heart of secret places; 1943a (Nt. 775-776). it opens for thee the double doors of heaven, it opens for thee the double doors of the way; 1943b (Nt. 776). it makes for thee a way, that thou mayest enter there among the gods, 1943b + 1 (Nt. 776). that thou mayest live as thy soul. 1944a (Nt. 776). O N., thou art not like the dead, who art dead, 1944a + 1 (Nt. 776-777). thou art living, thou art alive, together with them, the spirits, the imperishable stars. 1944 + 2 (Nt. 777). The time of inundation comes, the wg-festival comes, to the uplands, it comes as Osiris. 1944a + 3 (Nt. 777). Horus is purified with the eye of his brother Set; 1944a + 4 (Nt. 777-778). Set is purified with the eye of his brother Horus; 1945b (Nt. 778). N. is purified from every evil thing; 1945c (N. X 736). the Watchers of Horus are purified in his reed-float. 1945c + 1 (Nt. XVII 487). Father Osiris dawned over the sea, upon his throne, named "brilliant" for him, like his spirit; 1946a-1 (Nt. XXX 779). he was warned against Hr.ti lest he be not given to Osiris, (so) 1946a-2 (Nt. 779). there was opened for him the opposing door; 1946a-3 (Nt. 779). there was done for him that which was done (for him) as an only (unique) star without its equal 1946a (Nt. 779). among them, the gods, thou who sittest upon thy great seat. 1946b (N. X 737). Thy bread is t-wr (bread); thy bread is in the broadhall (temple hall). 1947a (N. X 737). The Watchers dance for thee, 1947b (Nt. XXX 780). as the mourning-women of Osiris call for thee. 1947b + 1 (Nt. 780). Raise thyself up, N.; 11947b + 2 (Nt. XVII 489). collect to thee thy bones; 1947b + 3 (Nt. XXX 781). take to thee thy head--a command of the Ennead, 1947b + 4 (Nt. XVII 490). sit thou for thy great bread; 1947b + 5 (Nt. XXX 781). choose thou the leg of meat on the great place of slaughter; 1947b + 6 (N. X 738). let there be given to thee the double-rib piece on the place of slaughter of Osiris. 1948a (Nt. XVII 490). O N., raise thyself up like Min. 1948b (N. X 738). Thou fliest up to heaven; thou livest with them; 1948c (N. X 738). thou causest thy wings to grow; 1948c + 1 (Nt. XVII 491). thy feathers on thy head; thy feathers on thy two arms. 1948c + 2 (Nt. XXX 782). Thou hast made the sky clear; thou givest light to them, like a god; 1948c + 3 (Nt. XVII 491). thou remainest chief of heaven like Horus of the D.t. Utterance 667 B. 1948c + 4 (Nt. XVII 491-492). Vigilant (?) is this eye of Horus, which he gave to Osiris; 1948c + 5 (Nt. 492). he gave (it) to thee, that it may destroy thy face. 1948c + 6 (Nt. 492) -------------- smell 1948c + 7 (Nt. 492). this word of Horus is, for it, says Geb. Utterance 667 C. 1949-1 (Nt. XXX 783). To say: I am N. of secret places; 1949 (Nt. 783). I ascend (as) thy good messenger from b.w; 1950a (N. X 739). I have threshed the barley, I have reaped the spelt, 1950b (N. 739). that thy livelihood may be secured thereby. 1950c (Nt. 783). Thou ascendest; thou art complete, N. 1950c + 1 (Nt. 784). Thou art powerful in ----1950c + 2 (Nt. 784). I did not see thee, (it is) thou who seest me. 1951-1 (Nt. 784). This Great One has seen the face of that Great Onethe seeing of two eyes. 1951-2 (Nt. 784). 'Iw who binds hair is his avenger; 1951a (Nt. 785). he stands, like Horus, who is on the shores, 1951b (N. X 740). his two sisters, at his side--Isis and Nephthys. 1952 (Nt. XXX 785). Raise thyself up, N., 1952 + 1 (Nt. 785). unite thy bones, collect thy limbs. 1952 + 2 (Nt. 785-786). Raise thyself up, N., 1952 + 3 (Nt. 786). receive thy head --1952 +4 (Nt. 786) ------- thy face ------- born of Nwn.t, 1952 + 5 (Nt. 786). thy mother, who makes thee glad. 1952 + 6 (Nt. 786). She cleanses thee like a papyrus roll of the flesh (skin?) of Mrw. 1953a (N. X MI). Shu, Shu, he passes by the walls, 1953b (N. 741). he outdistances the walls, 1953c (Nt. 787). N. is enclosed in secret places. 1954. --------------------------------------------1955a-1 (Nt. 787). when she does not pass you by, (when) she does not outdistance you. 1955a-2 (N. 742) -----------------1955a-3 (N. 742) ----------- mw.t 1955a (N. 742). four ---------1955b (N. 742). they pass by the walls; they outdistance the walls; 1955c (N. 742). thou, N., art enclosed in secret places. 1956 (N. 742) --------------------------------------1956 + 1 (N. 742) -----------------------------------1956 + 2 (N. 742) ------------- nn.wt 1957a (N. 742). thy thousand of -------- of stone vessels, 1957b (N. 743). thy thousand of all (kinds) of linen, 1957c (N. 743). thy thousand of cattle, thy thousand of birds, thy thousand of all sweet things, 1958a (N. 743). that thou mayest carry thyself in a festive manner as a god ---- 1958b (N. 744) ---------------- by thee, w ------------1958b + 1 (N. 744) --------------------- to Pdw-s.

(77) The acroamatic cipher is the most subtle of all, for the parable or allegory is susceptible of several interpretations. Bible students for centuries have been confronted by this difficultly. They are satisfied with the moral interpretation of the parable and forget that each parable and allegory is capable of seven interpretations, of which the seventh--the highest--is complete and all-inclusive, whereas the other six (and lesser) interpretations are fragmentary, revealing but part of the mystery. The creation myths of the world are acroamatic cryptograms, and the deities of the various pantheons are only cryptic characters which, if properly understood, become the constituents of a divine alphabet. The initiated few comprehend the true nature of this alphabet, but the uninitiated many worship the letters of it as gods.

(44) "'[The] dominion over all the gods [have I entrusted unto thee