(8) 'There is Agni (fire), the all-seeing, hidden in the two fire-sticks, well-guarded like a child (in the womb) by the mother, day after day to be adored by men when they awake and bring oblations. This is that.'

(2) 'On that altar the Devas (prânas) offer seed, From that oblation rises the germ.

(90) Now behold! As in the deep of this world, through the kindling of the stars, a seed is generated out of the body of the dark deep, like the creaturely body, so also in like manner, in man's house of flesh there is generated a seed, according to the eternal birthright of the seven qualifying or fountain spirits.

(137) But seeing the heavenly fruits, before the time of the wrath, sprang up only in this stirring of the seven qualifying or fountain spirits, and vanished and passed away again by their stirring, and so changed or altered themselves, therefore on the third day of the birth or geniture of the creation they sprang up also through the stirring of the fire-flash in the astringent quality of the earth.

(55) For the astringent and fire-spirit holdeth it fast, and the meek water, which melteth from the body of nature in the kindling of the light, goeth through the severe, earnest, cold and fiery birth or geniture, and is very sweet, pleasant and lovely.

(81) The metals have the same substance, condition and birth or geniture as the vegetables upon the earth. For the metals or mineral ores, at the time of the kindling of the wrath in the innate, wheel of the seventh nature-spirit, stood in the fabric, work or operation of the love, wherein the meek beneficence or welldoing generateth itself behind the fire-flash; wherein the holy heaven stands, which in this birth or geniture, when the love is predominant, presents or sheweth forth itself in such a gracious, amiable and blessed clarity or brightness, and in such beauteous colours, like gold, silver and precious stones.

The FUMIGATION from FRANKINCENSE. O Mighty Titans, who from heav'n and earth Derive your noble and illustrious birth, Our fathers fires, in Tartarus profound Who dwell, deep merg'd beneath the solid ground: Fountains and principles, from whom began Th' afflicted, miserable, race of man: Who not alone in earth's retreats abide, But in the ocean and the air reside; Since ev'ry species from your nature flows, Which all prolific, nothing barren knows: Avert your rage, if from th' infernal seats One of your tribe should visit our retreats.

The FUMIGATION from AROMATICS. WITH holy voice I call the stars on high, Pure sacred lights and genii of the sky. Celestial stars, the progeny of Night, In whirling circles beaming far your light, Refulgent rays around the heav'ns ye throw, Eternal fires, the source of all below. With flames significant of Fate ye shine, And aptly rule for men a path divine. In seven bright zones ye run with wand'ring flames, And heaven and earth compose your lucid frames: With course unwearied, pure and fiery bright Forever shining thro' the veil of Night. Hail twinkling, joyful, ever wakeful fires! Propitious shine on all my just desires; These sacred rites regard with conscious rays, And end our works devoted to your praise.

(5) From him comes Agni (fire), the sun being the fuel; from the moon (Soma) comes rain (Parganya); from the earth herbs; and man gives seed unto the woman. Thus many beings are begotten from the Person (purusha).

The FUMIGATION from MYRRH. O Mighty first-begotten, hear my pray'r, 1 Two-fold, egg-born, and wand'ring thro' the air, Bull-roarer, glorying in thy golden wings, 3 From whom the race of Gods and mortals springs. Ericapæus, celebrated pow'r, Ineffable, occult, all shining flow'r. From eyes obscure thou wip'st the gloom of night, All-spreading splendour, pure and holy light Hence Phanes call'd, the glory of the sky, On waving pinions thro' the world you fly. Priapus, dark-ey'd splendour, thee I sing, Genial, all-prudent, ever-blessed king, With joyful aspect on our rights divine And holy sacrifice propitious shine.

(79) Out of the anguishing chamber in the body of this world, out of the seven spirits of God, are risen or sprung forth the stars, which kindle the body of this world; and out of or from the body the fruit or seed generateth itself, which is the water, fire, air and earth.

(17) In such wise than, as I have said, the generation of these seven came to pass. Earth was as woman, her Water filled with longing; ripeness she took from Fire, spirit from Aether. Nature thus brought forth frames to suit the form of Man. And Man from Light and Life changed into soul and mind - from Life to soul, from Light to mind. And thus continued all the sense-world's parts until the period of their end and new beginnings.

(1) Iximiprus saith:—I testify that the beginning of all things is a Certain Nature, which is perpetual, coequalling all things, and that the visible natures, with their births and decay, are times wherein the ends to which that nature brings them are beheld and summoned.* Now, I instruct you that the stars are igneous, and are kept within bounds by the air. If the humidity and density of the air did not exist to separate the flames of the sun from living things, then the Sun would consume all creatures. But God has provided the separating air, lest that which He has created should be burnt up. Do you not observe that the Sun when it rises in the heaven overcomes the air by its heat, and that the warmth penetrates from the upper to the lower parts of the air? If, then, the air did not presently breathe forth those winds whereby creatures are generated, the i Sun by its heat would certainly destroy all that lives. But the Sun is kept in check by the air, which thus conquers because it unites the heat of the Sun to its own heat, and the humidity of water to its own humidity. Have you not remarked how tenuous water.

is drawn up into the air by the action of the heat of the Sun, which thus helps the water against itself? If the water did not nourish the air by such tenuous moisture, assuredly the Sun would overcome the air. The fire, therefore, extracts moisture from the water, by means of which the air conquers the fire itself. Thus, fire and water are enemies between which there is no consanguinity, for the fire is hot and dry, but the water is cold and moist.. The air, which is warm and moist, joins these together by its concording medium; between the humidity of water and the heat of fire the air is thus placed to establish peace. And lock ye all how there shall arise a spirit from the tenuous vapour of the air, because the heat being joined to the humour, there necessarily issues something tenuous, which will become a wind. For the heat of the Sun extracts something tenuous out of the air, which also becomes spirit and life to all creatures. All this, however, is disposed in such manner by the will of God, and a coruscation appears when the heat of the Sun touches and breaks up a cloud.

The Turba saith:—Well hast thou described the fire, even as thou knowest concerning it, and thou hast believed the word of thy brother.

(40) Behold! the stars are risen or proceeded out of the kindled house of God's wrath, as the mobility or stirring of a child in the mother's body or womb in three months. But now they have attained their kindling from the eternal, benumbed, not quite dead, water of life, for in nature that water was never dead.

The FUMIGATION from FRANKINCENSE and MANNA. HEAR golden Titan, whose eternal eye With broad survey, illumines all the sky. Self-born, unwearied in diffusing light, And to all eyes the mirrour of delight: Lord of the seasons, with thy fiery car And leaping coursers, beaming light from far: With thy right hand the source of morning light, 7 And with thy left the father of the night. Agile and vig'rous, venerable Sun, Fiery and bright around the heav'ns you run. Foe to the wicked, but the good man's guide, O'er all his steps propitious you preside: With various founding, golden lyre, 'tis mine To fill the world with harmony divine. Father of ages, guide of prosp'rous deeds, The world's commander, borne by lucid steeds, Immortal Jove, all-searching, bearing light, 17 Source of existence, pure and fiery bright Bearer of fruit, almighty lord of years, Agil and warm, whom ev'ry pow'r reveres. Great eye of Nature and the starry skies, Doom'd with immortal flames to set and rise Dispensing justice, lover of the stream, The world's great despot, and o'er all supreme. Faithful defender, and the eye of right, Of steeds the ruler, and of life the light: With founding whip four fiery steeds you guide, When in the car of day you glorious ride. Propitious on these mystic labours shine, And bless thy suppliants with a life divine.

The FUMIGATION from every kind of SEED, except BEANS and AROMATICS. O Goddess, Earth, of Gods and men the source, Endu'd with fertile, all destroying force; All-parent, bounding, whose prolific pow'rs, Produce a store of beauteous fruits and flow'rs, All-various maid, th' eternal world's strong base Immortal, blessed, crown'd with ev'ry grace; From whose wide womb, as from an endless root, Fruits, many-form'd, mature and grateful shoot. Deep bosom'd, blessed, pleas'd with grassy plains, Sweet to the smell, and with prolific rains. All flow'ry dæmon, centre of the world, Around thy orb, the beauteous stars are hurl'd With rapid whirl, eternal and divine, Whose frames with matchless skill and wisdom shine. Come, blessed Goddess, listen to my pray'r, And make increase of fruits thy constant care; With fertile Seasons in thy train, draw near, And with propitious mind thy suppliant hear.

The FUMIGATION from SAFFRON. O Ever untam'd Fire, who reign'st on high In Jove's dominions ruler of the sky; The glorious sun with dazzling lustre bright, And moon and stars from thee derive their light; All taming pow'r, ætherial shining fire, Whose vivid blasts the heat of life inspire: The world's best element, light-bearing pow'r, With starry radiance shining, splendid flow'r, O hear my suppliant pray'r, and may thy frame Be ever innocent, serene, and tame. Next: V. To Protogonus, Or the First-Born Sacred Texts | Classics « Previous: The Initiations of Orpheus: III: To Heaven Index Next: The Initiations of Orpheus: V. To Protogonus, Or the Firs... » Sacred Texts | Classics

(40) VI. Now the sixth generating in God is when the spirits, in their birth or geniture, thus taste one of another, for then they become very full of joy: For the fire-flash, or the sharpness out of or from the birth or geniture, riseth up aloft, and moveth as the air in this world does.

(40) Thinking thus, direct thy wish, and enter into the womb. At the same time, emit thy gift-waves [of grace, or good-will] upon the womb which thou art entering, [transforming it thereby] into a celestial mansion. And believing that the Conquerors and their Sons [or Bodhisattvas] of the Ten Directions, and the tutelary deities, especially the Great Compassionate [One}, are conferring power thereon, pray unto Them, and enter the womb.

The FUMIGATION from FRANKINCENSE. Daughters of Jove, dire-sounding and divine, 1 Renown'd Pierian, sweetly speaking Nine; To those whose breasts your sacred furies fire Much-form'd, the objects of supreme desire: Sources of blameless virtue to mankind, Who form to excellence the youthful mind; Who nurse the soul, and give her to descry The paths of right with Reason's steady eye. Commanding queens who lead to sacred light The intellect refin'd from Error's night; And to mankind each holy rite disclose, For mystic knowledge from your nature flows. Clio, and Erato, who charms the sight, With thee Euterpe minist'ring delight: Thalia flourishing, Polymina fam'd, Melpomene from skill in music nam'd: Terpischore, Urania heav'nly bright, With thee * who gav'st me to behold the light. Come, venerable, various, pow'rs divine, With fav'ring aspect on your mystics shine; Bring glorious, ardent, lovely, fam'd desire, And warm my bosom with your sacred fire.