The Story of Anna Kingsford and Edward Maitland and of the new Gospel of Interpretation Part 16

And the glory shall be upon the propitiatory, in the holy place of thy prayer.

These are the twelve gates of regeneration: through which if a man enter he shall have right to the tree of life.

For the number of that Tree is Thirteen.

It may happen to a man to have three, to another five, to another seven, to another ten.

But until a man have twelve, he is not master over the last enemy.

(5) Concerning the Pa.s.sage of the Soul[77].

Evoi, Father Iacchos, Lord G.o.d of Egypt: initiate thy servants in the halls of thy Temple;

Upon whose walls are the forms of every creature: of every beast of the earth, and of every fowl of the air;

The lynx, and the lion, and the bull: the ibis and the serpent: the scorpion and every flying thing.

And the columns thereof are human shapes; having the heads of eagles and the hoofs of the ox.

All these are of thy kingdom: they are the chambers of ordeal, and the houses of the initiation of the soul.

For the soul pa.s.seth from form to form; and the mansions of her pilgrimage are manifold.

Thou callest her from the deep, and from the secret places of the earth; from the dust of the ground, and from the herb of the field.

Thou coverest her nakedness with an ap.r.o.n of fig-leaves; thou clothest her with the skins of beasts.

Thou art from of old, O soul of man; yea, thou art from the everlasting.

Thou puttest off thy bodies as raiment; and as vesture dost thou fold them up.

They perish, but thou remainest: the wind rendeth and scattereth them; and the place of them shall no more be known.

For the wind is the Spirit of G.o.d in man, which bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, nor whither it shall go.

Even so is the spirit of man, which cometh from afar off and tarrieth not, but pa.s.seth away to a place thou knowest not.

(6) Concerning the Mystic Exodus[77].

Evoi, Iacchos, Lord of the Sphinx; who linkest the lowest to the highest; the loins of the wild beast to the head and breast of the woman.

Thou holdest the chalice of divination: all the forms of nature are reflected therein.

Thou turnest man to destruction: then thou sayest, Come again, ye children of my hand.

Yea, blessed and holy art thou, O Master of Earth: Lord of the cross and the tree of salvation.

Vine of G.o.d, whose blood redeemeth; bread of heaven, broken on the altar of death.

There is corn in Egypt; go thou down into her, O my soul, with joy.

For in the kingdom of the Body, thou shalt eat the bread of thine initiation.

But beware lest thou become subject to the flesh, and a bond-slave in the land of thy sojourn.

Serve not the idols of Egypt; and let not the senses be thy taskmasters.

For they will bow thy neck to their yoke; they will bitterly oppress the Israel of G.o.d.

An evil time shall come upon thee; and the Lord shall smite Egypt with plagues for thy sake.

Thy body shall be broken on the wheel of G.o.d; thy flesh shall see trouble and the worm.

Thy house shall be smitten with grievous plagues; blood, and pestilence, and great darkness; fire shall devour thy goods; and thou shalt be a prey to the locust and creeping thing.

Thy glory shall be brought down to the dust; hail and storm shall smite thine harvest; yea, thy beloved and thy first-born shall the hand of the Lord destroy;

Until the body let the soul go free; that she may serve the Lord G.o.d.

Arise in the night, O soul, and fly, lest thou be consumed in Egypt.

The angel of the understanding shall know thee for his elect, if thou offer unto G.o.d a reasonable faith.

Savour thy reason with learning, with labour, and with obedience.

Let the rod of thy desire be in thy right hand: put the sandals of Hermes on thy feet; and gird thy loins with strength.

Then shalt thou pa.s.s through the waters of cleansing, which is the first death in the body.

The waters shall be a wall unto thee on thy right hand and on thy left.

And Hermes the Redeemer shall go before thee; for he is thy cloud of darkness by day, and thy pillar of fire by night.

All the hors.e.m.e.n of Egypt and the chariots thereof; her princes, her counsellors, and her mighty men:

These shall pursue thee, O soul, that fliest; and shall seek to bring thee back into bondage.

Fly for thy life; fear not the deep; stretch out thy rod over the sea; and lift thy desire unto G.o.d.

Thou hast learnt wisdom in Egypt; thou has spoiled the Egyptians; thou hast carried away their fine gold and their precious things.

Thou hast enriched thyself in the body; but the body shall not hold thee; neither shall the waters of the deep swallow thee up.

Thou shalt wash thy robes in the sea of regeneration; the blood of atonement shall redeem thee to G.o.d.

This is thy chrism and anointing, O soul; this is the first death; thou art the Israel of the Lord,

Who hath redeemed thee from the dominion of the body; and hath called thee from the grave, and from the house of bondage,