(36) Among the American Indians is the legend of a "Spider Man," whose web connected the heaven worlds with the earth. The secret schools of India symbolize certain of the gods who labored with the universe during its making as connecting the realms of light with those of darkness by means of webs. Therefore the builders of the cosmic system who held the embryonic universe together with threads of invisible force were sometimes referred to as the Spider Gods and their ruler was designated The Great Spider.

(14) Why, then, is the serpent called wise? Because even in its wiles there may be found a connection, and distinction, and combination, and conjecturing of the future. And so very many crimes are concealed; because the wicked arrange for themselves so as by all means to escape punishment.

(393) 689 To say: Thy protective -sycamore is thy corn; thy corn is thy protective-sycamore. 689 Thy tail shall be in thy mouth, combat-serpent. Turn thyself . around thy turning, great bull. 669 ----- his (?) --- the Great escaped from him whom he had charmed. 689 S-t-serpent, protect thyself against the earth; s-t-serpent, protect thyself against Geb

(1) The precautions taken against thieves who open trunks, search bags, or ransack tills, consist of securing with cords and fastening with bolts and locks. This is what the world calls wit. But a strong thief comes who carries off the till on his shoulders, with box and bag to boot. And his only fear is that the cords and locks should not be strong enough! Therefore, what the world calls wit, simply amounts to assistance given to the strong thief. And I venture to state that nothing of that which the world calls wit, is otherwise than serviceable to strong thieves; and that nothing of that which the world calls wisdom is other than a protection to strong thieves. How can this be shown?—In the State of Ch'i a man used to be able to see from one town to the next, and hear the barking and crowing of its dogs and cocks. The area covered by the nets of fishermen and fowlers, and pricked by the plough, was a square of two thousand and odd li. And within its four boundaries not a temple or shrine was dedicated, nor a district or hamlet governed, but in accordance with the rules laid down by the Sages. Yet one morning T'ien Ch'êng Tzŭ slew the Prince of Ch'i, and stole his kingdom. And not his kingdom only, but the wisdom-tricks which he had got from the Sages as well; so that although T'ien Ch'êng Tzŭ acquired the reputation of a thief, he lived as comfortably as ever did either Yao or Shun. The small States did not venture to blame, nor the great States to punish him; and so for twelve generations his descendants ruled over Ch'i.

(61) If ye cavil at and accept not God's hints, Though ye count yourselves men, see, ye are women. The quantum of reason ye possessed is lost, Inasmuch as the unthankful are despicable, If ye really have trust in God, exert yourselves, And strive, in constant reliance on the Almighty." He said, "O friends, God has given me inspiration. The wit taught by God to the bee It fills its cells with liquid sweets, The skill taught by God to the silkworm

(5) And to prove that example corrects, he says directly to the purpose: "A clever man, when he seeth the wicked punished, will himself be severely chastised, for the fear of the Lord is the source of wisdom."

(34) Opinions differ concerning the spider. Its shape makes it an appropriate emblem of the nerve plexus and ganglia of the human body. Some Europeans consider it extremely bad luck to kill a spider--possibly because it is looked upon as an emissary of the Evil One, whom no person desires to offend. There is a mystery concerning all poisonous creatures, especially insects. Paracelsus taught that the spider was the medium for a powerful but evil force which the Black Magicians used in their nefarious undertakings.

(176) A wise man is a doer of good works after God.

(55) For since he (Christ) is Wisdom, he makes the foolish man wise. He (Wisdom) is a holy kingdom and a shining robe. For it (Wisdom) is much gold, which gives you great honor. The Wisdom of God became a type of fool for you, so that it might take you up, O foolish one, and make you a wise man. And the Life died for you when he was powerless, so that through his death, he might give life to you who have died.

(61) For He is a Power of circumlucid strength, glittering with Intellectual Sections.

(162) He whose wickedness is very great brings himself down to that state where his enemy wishes him to be, as a creeper does with the tree which it surrounds.

(8) The noble elect substance which is in him was more exalted. It created and it did not wound them. Therefore they issued a command, making a threat and bringing upon him a great danger, which is death. Only the enjoyment of the things which are evil did he allow him to taste, and from the other tree with the double (fruit) he did not allow him to eat, much less from the tree of life, so that they would not acquire honor [...] them, and so that they would not be [...] by the evil power which is called "the serpent." And he is more cunning than all the evil powers. He led man astray through the determination of those things which belong to the thought and the desires. made him transgress the command, so that he would die. And he was expelled from every enjoyment of that place.

(8) But seeing he is now loose from the chains of darkness, God causes lights to be set up everywhere in this world, whereby men might learn to know him, and his feats and wiles, and beware of him.

(230) 230 To say: Be thy two poison-glands in the ground; be thy two rows of ribs in the hole. 230 Pour out the liquid. The two kites stand there. 230 Thy mouth is closed by the hangman's tool; the mouth of the hangman's tool is closed by the mfd.t (lynx). 230 The one made tired is bitten by a serpent. 231 O R`, N. has bitten the earth; N. has bitten Geb. 231 N. has bitten the father of him who bit him. 231 This is the being who has bitten N., (though) N. did not bite him. 232 It is he who is come against N., (though) N. does not go against him; 232 the second moment after he saw N., the second moment after he perceived N. 232 If thou bitest N., he will make one (piece) of thee; if thou regardest N., he will make two of thee. 233 The n`w-serpent (male) is bitten by the n`.t-serpent (female); the n`.t-serpent is bitten by the n`w-serpent. 233 Heaven is protected magically; earth is protected magically; the "manly" who is behind mankind is protected magically. 234 The god whose head is blind is protected magically; thou thyself, scorpion, art protected magically. 234 These are the two knots (charm) of Elephantin� which are in the mouth of Osiris, 234 which Horus knotted concerning the backbone.

(82) And he has power over night and day in the heaven to cause the light to give light to men--sun, moon, and stars, and all the powers of the heaven which revolve in their circular chariots.

(69) Where is a man (who is) wise or powerful in intelligence, or a man whose devices are many because he knows wisdom? Let him speak wisdom; let him utter great boasting! For every man has become a fool and has spoken out of his (own) knowledge. For he (Christ) confounded the counsels of guileful people, and he prevailed over those wise in their own understanding.

(6) And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light.

(1) The marks of the wise man, of the half wise, and of the fool. The wise man is he who possesses a torch of his own; That leader is his own director and light; He is his own protector; do ye also seek protection The second, he, namely, who is half wise, He clings to the wise man like a blind man to his guide, So as to become possessed of the wise man's sight. But the fool, who has no particle of wisdom, Has no wisdom of his own, and quits the wise man. He knows nothing of the way, great or small,

(10) Further, he employs prudence and righteousness in the acquisition of wisdom, and fortitude, not only in the endurance of circumstances, but also in restraining pleasure and desire, grief and anger; and, in general, to withstand everything which either by any force or fraud entices us. For it is not necessary to endure vices and virtues, but it is to be persuaded to bear things that inspire fear.

(34) But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him?