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permits the passage of a short leather thong, by which it may be attached to the
chain. At the other end of the chain is the striker; which, in Tibet, is
usually made of human bone.
The Bell itself is made of electrum magicum, an alloy of the "seven metals"
blended together in a special manner. First the gold is melted up with the
silver during a favourable aspect of the sun and moon; these are then fused with
tin when Jupiter is well dignified. Lead is added under an auspicious Saturn;
and so for the quicksilver, copper, and iron, when Mercury, Venus, and Mars are
of good augury.
The sound of this Bell is indescribably commanding, solemn, and majestic.
Without even the minutest jar, its single notes tinkle fainter and fainter into
silence. At the sound of this Bell the Universe ceases for an indivisible
moment of time, and attends to the Will of the Magician. Let him not interrupt
the sound of this Bell. Let this be that which is written, Liber VII, v, 31:
"There is a solemnity of the silence. There is no more voice at all."
As the Magical Book was the record of the past, so is the Magick Bell the
prophecy of the future. The manifested shall repeat itself again and again,
always a clear thin note, always a simplicity of music, yet ever less and less
disturbing the infinite silence until the end.
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CHAPTER XV
THE LAMEN
THE breastplate of Lamen of the Magician is a very elaborate and important
symbol. In the Jewish system we read that the High Priest was to wear a plate
with twelve stones, for the twelve tribes of Israel (with all their
correspondences), and in this plate were kept the Urim and Thummin.
Scholars are uncertain as to what these really were, though apparently they were
methods of divination.>>
The modern Lamen is, however, a simple plate which (being worn over the
heart) symbolizes Tiphereth, and it should therefore be a harmony of all the
other symbols in one. It connects naturally by its shape with the Circle and
the Pentacle; but it is not sufficient to repeat the design of either.
The Lamen of the spirit whom one wishes to evoke is both placed in the
triangle and worn on the breast; but in this case, since that which we wish to
evoke in nothing partial, but whole, we shall have but a single symbol to
combine the two. The Great Work will then form the subject of the
design.
Pantacle, usually through a misunderstanding of the nature of the latter. Dr.
Dee's "Sigillum Dei Amath" makes a fine pantacle, but it would be useless as a
lamen, Eliphas Levi made several attempts to draw one or the other, he never
seemed sure which. Fortunately he knows better now. The lamens given in the
Lesser and Greater Keys of "Solomon" are rather better, but we know of no
perfect example. The design on the cover of "The Star in the West" represents
an early effort of Fra. P.>>
In this Lamen the Magician must place the secret keys of his power.
The Pentacle is merely the material to be worked upon, gathered together and
harmonized but not yet in operation, the parts of the engine arranged for use,
or even put together, but not yet set in motion. In the Lamen these forces are
already at work; even accomplishment is prefigured.
In the system of Abramelin the Lamen is a plate of silver upon which the Holy
Guardian Angel writes in dew. This is another way of expressing the same thing,
for it is He who confers the secrets of that power which should be herein
expressed. St. Paul expresses the same thing when he says that the breastplate
is faith, and can withstand the fiery darts of the wicked. "This "faith" is not
blind self-confidence {113}
{figure on this page: A vesica with balances, sword, rose and crown, along with
several letters and numbers. This caption beneath: "EXAMPLE OF DESIGN FOR A
LAMEN"}
{114}
and credulity; it is that self confidence which only comes when self is
forgotten.
It is the "Knowledge and Conversation of the Holy Guardian Angel" which
confers this faith. The task of attaining to this Knowledge and Conversation is
the sole task of him who would be called Adept. An absolute method for
achieving this is given in the Eighth Aethyr (Liber CDXVIII, Equinox V).
{115}
{illustration on this page: a pot supported by a tripod with arms up and over
the top to hold up a perforated circular grate. The upper extensions of the
arms are flame-shaped. This caption beneath: "THE CENSER (CROWLEY'S PATENT
PATTERN)."}
{116}
CHAPTER XVI
THE MAGICK FIRE; WITH CONSIDERATIONS OF THE THURIBLE, THE
CHARCOAL, AND THE INCENSE
INTO the Magick Fire all things are cast. It symbolizes the final burning up of
all things in Shivadarshana. It is the absolute destruction alike of the
Magician and the Universe.
The Thurible stands upon a small altar. "My altar is of open brass work:
burn thereon in silver or gold!" This
altar stands in the East, as if to symbolize the identity of Hope and
Annihilation. This brass contains the metals of Jupiter and Venus fused in a
homogeneous alloy. This is then symbolical of divine love, and it is "open
brass work" because this love is not limited in direction or extent; it is not
particularized, it is universal.
Upon this altar stands the Censer proper; it has three legs symbolical of
fire.
flame, and its value is 300.>> Its cup is a hemisphere, and supported from its
edge is a plate pierced with holes. This censer is of silver or gold, because
there were called the perfect metals; it is upon perfection that the imperfect
is burned. Upon this plate burns a great fire of charcoal, impregnated with
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