(66) Thus I also, what I do not enough describe in one place concerning this great Mystery, that you will find in another place; and what I cannot describe in this book, in regard of the largeness of the Mystery, and my incapacity, that you will find in the others following.

(9) It is not then without reason that in the mysteries that obtain among the Greeks, lustrations hold the first place; as also the layer among the Barbarians. After these are the minor mysteries, which have some foundation of instruction and of preliminary preparation for what is to come after; and the great mysteries, in which nothing remains to be learned of the universe, but only to contemplate and comprehend nature and things.

(1) For every question is solved from pre-existing knowledge. And the knowledge pre-existing of each object of investigation is sometimes merely of the essence, while its functions are unknown (as of stones, and plants, and animals, of whose operations we are ignorant), or [the knowledge] of the properties, or powers, or (so to speak) of the qualities inherent in the objects. And sometimes we may know some one or more of those powers or properties, - as, for example, the desires and affections of the soul, - and be ignorant of the essence, and make it the object of investigation. But in many instances, our understanding having assumed all these, the question is, in which of the essences do they thus inhere; for it is after forming conceptions of both - that is, both of essence and operation - in our mind, that we proceed to the question. And there are also some objects, whose operations, along with their essences, we know, but are ignorant of their modifications.

(144) But what the total sequel is, which may follow upon and after this, I do not fully know: Only sometimes, future Mysteries in the depth are shewn to me.

(143) For these things are divine Mysteries, which no man can search into by his own Reason. I also esteem myself most unworthy of such a gift; and besides, I shall have many scorners and mockers against me; for the corrupted nature is horribly ashamed before the light.

(2) And though this ground and great mystery has remained hidden from the beginning of the world, and that human flesh and blood is not able to conceive or apprehend it.

(18) Thus, I have explained to you this knowledge that is more secret than all secrets. Ponder over it deeply, and then do as you wish.

(3) "The first [mystery of the First Mystery],--if thou accomplishest its mystery altogether and standest and accomplishest it finely in all its figures, then dost thou come straightway out of thy body, become a great light-stream and pass through all the regions of the rulers and all the regions of the Light, while all are in fear of that soul, until it cometh to the region of its kingdom.

(14) For behold, the deep between heaven and earth is also incomprehensible, and yet the elementary qualities sometimes generate living comprehensible flesh therein, as grasshoppers, flies, and worms or creeping things.

(8) But that thou may understand what manner of substance and condition all these things and births or genitures have, I will describe all in order one after another, that thou may rightly understand the ground of this Mystery.

(4) "The second mystery of the First Mystery, on the other hand,-- if thou accomplishest it finely in all its figures,--the man, therefore, who shall accomplish its mystery, if he speaketh that mystery over the head of any man who goeth forth out of the body, and he speaketh it into his two ears, if indeed the man who goeth forth out of the body hath received mysteries for the second time and is sharing in the word of truth,--amēn, I say unto you: That man, if he goeth forth out of the body of matter, then will his soul become a great light-stream and pass through all the regions, until it cometh to the kingdom of that mystery.

(26) Therefore also there arise so many diverse growths, vegetations and figures as are altogether unsearchable and incomprehensible to the bodily reason of the angels; but to the animated or soulish reason of the angels they are wholly, fully and perfectly comprehensible.

(36) If to be born amongst beasts, rock-caverns and deep holes in the earth and mists will appear. Enter not therein.

(78) Now these three distinct dominions or regimens are generated in the seed, which taketh its original in the flesh, as I have mentioned before, within three leaves from this. Now observe this hidden secret hidden Mystery. Ye Naturalists, observe. The Gate of the great Mystery.

(12) Now I know very well, that I shall not only in Part be as it were dumb or obscure to the desirous Reader, but also tedious, and he will be somewhat troubled at me, in that I have written of the eternal Mother (wherein the divine Essence stands;) and that I now write, that this Matrix is inanimate and void of Understanding, out of which also a Principle void of Understanding is generated; as is plain before our Eyes, that in this World there is no true Understanding, either in the Stars, or in the Elements; and also in all its Creatures there is but an Understanding to qualify [or to operate,] to nourish itself, and to increase, as the Matrix in itself is.

(61) If a man would find out the Mystery, and the deepest ground, he must diligently and exactly view and consider the creation of this world, the government or dominion, and rule or order, as also the qualities of the stars and the elements.

(99) And now I swear unto you, to the wise and to the foolish, For ye shall have manifold experiences on the earth.

(5) This discussion of Nature has shown us how the origin of things is a Contemplation: we may now take the matter up to the higher Soul; we find that the Contemplation pursued by this, its instinct towards knowing and enquiring, the birth pangs set up by the knowledge it attains, its teeming fullness, have caused it- in itself, all one object of Vision- to produce another Vision : it is just as a given science, complete in itself, becomes the source and cause of what might be called a minor science in the student who attains to some partial knowledge of all its divisions. But the visible objects and the objects of intellectual contemplation of this later creation are dim and helpless by the side of the content of the Soul.

The primal phase of the Soul- inhabitant of the Supreme and, by its participation in the Supreme, filled and illuminated- remains unchangeably There; but in virtue of that first participation, that of the primal participant, a secondary phase also participates in the Supreme, and this secondary goes forth ceaselessly as Life streaming from Life; for energy runs through the Universe and there is no extremity at which it dwindles out. But, travel as far as it may, it never draws that first part of itself from the place whence the outgoing began: if it did, it would no longer be everywhere it would be present at the end, only, of its course.

None the less that which goes forth cannot be equal to that which remains.

In sum, then:

The Soul is to extend throughout the Universe, no spot void of its energy: but, a prior is always different from its secondary, and energy is a secondary, rising as it must from contemplation or act; act, however, is not at this stage existent since it depends upon contemplation: therefore the Soul, while its phases differ, must, in all of them, remain a contemplation and what seems to be an act done under contemplation must be in reality that weakened contemplation of which we have spoken: the engendered must respect the Kind, but in weaker form, dwindled in the descent.

All goes softly since nothing here demands the parade of thought or act upon external things: it is a Soul in vision and, by this vision, creating its own subsequent- this Principle , itself also contemplative but in the feebler degree since it lies further away and cannot reproduce the quality or experiences of its prior- a Vision creates the Vision.

for no limit exists either to contemplation or to its possible objects, and this explains how the Soul is universal: where can this thing fail to be, which is one identical thing in every Soul; Vision is not cabined within the bournes of magnitude.

This, of course, does not mean that the Soul is present at the same strength in each and every place and thing- any more than that it is at the same strength in each of its own phases.

The Charioteer gives the two horses what he has seen and they, taking that gift, showed that they were hungry for what made that vision; there was something lacking to them: if in their desire they acted, their action aimed at what they craved for- and that was vision, and an object of vision.

(25) By bending upon them the awakened inner light, there comes a knowledge of things subtle, or concealed, or obscure.