Throughout most of the chapter, the central character is especially the Adept - that is, Crowley's consciousness somewhere between 5=6 and 7=4 states. But, beginning with verse 40, we get one of the best expositions known to me of the Adept's Next Step, crossing the Abyss to become a Master of the Temple (8=3).

v 40 introduces the Adept's self-perspective being having "become like a luscious devil of Italy; a fair strong woman with worn cheeks, eaten out with hunger for kisses," etc. We spend a few verses establishing the character. But quickly (vv. 42-43) we see the forces impacting her that will sweep her across the Abyss. Kaph and Mem (v. 42), the forces that raised her past Tiphereth to Geburah and Chesed, are binding her to the process. She is "broken in pieces," the surging intensity of consciousness assault her ego integrity until it is "burst in sunder" by the streaming, surging Supernal forces of the Abyss and sinks into the Great Sea of Binah.

"So am I, O Adonai, my lord," sayeth the Adept to the HGA, now speaking in the p.o.v. of a Master, "and such are the waters of Thine intolerable Essence. So am I, O Adonai, my beloved, and Thou hast burst me utterly in sunder."

This speaks to me, in a more vital and virile way, of that cycle of experience usually summarized as "and after the K&C, the Angel eventually will ready you for and lead you to the Abyss."

In v. 47, the fruits of this are described. The Ravens of Dispersion are the Q'lippoth of Netzach, but always intuitively seem to me to be realted to Binah as well - or, in any case, to the carrion birds of Liber Cheth, v. 4. Verse 48 confirms that the gate to the Abyss and to Binah has been opened, describes "the vast sea as a veil," and says "there a rending asunder of all things," the fabric of Ruach-based reality.

Beginning in v. 49, we have fully the Master, now relating to the Angel in Chokmah. The Angel as Chokmah is "the cool still water of the wizard fount," etc. This is also broader than just the Binah-Chokmah axis: many points along the path of initiation are described by v. 50 (too many to mention without getting distracted); but, in general, the feeling of submerging oneself into the Angel, of loosing any sense of what one has been in this experience, is beautifully stated.

In v. 51, it is Adonai as Chokmah that is "the milky ocean of the stars." Verse 52 changes the way of looking at it, though: "Son of a light-transcending mother" seems to be Tiphereth, wherein the Angel was first fully experienced. The Name learned therein is blessed "throughout the ages."

Verse 53 continues Heh's adoration before her beloved, the Yod. (Don't miss the frequent motif of a butterfly in Atu XVII, The Star, in many renderings.) The Angel's "infinite stream" is Chiah (= Chokmah) - metaphorically the semen stream of the constant-cumming Great Father - which is also the "stream of the stars" of v. 54, flowing eventually even to Kether and beyond.

Then vv. 55-56 recenters on the fact that we're speaking in Water - Maim, Mem, Mayim. (It speaks for itself.)

In v. 57 (probably marking Crowley's starting to come down a bit), we start the Tarot metaphors. The "foolish man" is the one at the beginning of the Path. OTOH, the Master identifies with Aleph. (See where the prior verses brought us.) It ia an Aleph unlimited even by Beth and Gimel, an Aleph that has "burst the bonds" of Daleth and two other Tarot cards following (at the time, probably understood by AC to mean the three Paths opening to Chokmah).

Verses 60 to the end celebrate the experience of the Aspirant, Adept, and Master in the embrace of the Angel. They speak for themselves. By v. 62, he wants to declare the Angel to the World, and realizes (or remembers) that it is as the Next Step that this can be done.

I sit here transfixed as I look at a page.
Was it something I said or something I done?
I am not sure... All I know is I am transfixed
and cannot undo this witchery.

But no witchery has been cast upon you, I say
Except for a simple thought that goes beyond your simple reason

But I thought it before, I say... I am sure I thought it before.
Yes but with not such ease of mind did you think it
Not such ease of mind....

The page still sets there with all the words I wrote
Not witchery, just thoughts, simple, but thoughts

But I thought it before, so why has it eluded me?
Reflections of a different kind I say
Reflections of a different kind

" 64. Glorious, glorious, glorious art Thou, O my lover supernal, O Self of myself.

65. For I have found Thee alike in the Me and the Thee; there is no difference, O my beautiful, my desirable One! In the One and the Many have I found Thee; yea, I have found Thee. "

The one and the many could be talking about anything... Teachers, people, lives or just parts of the self that make up the whole part of the higher self. It is as if saying ‘I have found thee because thee was part of me all along. I found thee in my helper, I found thee in my maid, I found thee in my lover and I found thee in myself.... Thou has been with me all along oh Adonai.... Thou... has been with me.... all along.
93 93/93

Water, how it behaves—flowing into the myriad of individual forms and then returning, back into the collected totality of itself. Any perception references the whole—water reflecting itself.

Willful freedom from willfulness; limpid; not this, and not that, but potentially anything and everything; water.

Again and again there will be the song 'Glorious, glorious, glorious art Thou, O my lover supernal, O Self of myself.' So there will always be this renewed division between thou and me so I might sing the song. A nominal difference, until the next mment when there is no difference, and on and on—Indra decides to see what it like to be a pig.

My thoughts are boring. My dissatisfaction with them stems from my inability to see how these thoughts can influence how I live the life I must continue to live.

Love and Will