25 November (Nuit) Liber CCXX, 1:31-32
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31. For these fools of men and their woes care not thou at all! They feel little; what is, is balanced by weak joys; but ye are my chosen ones.
32. Obey my prophet! follow out the ordeals of my knowledge! seek me only! Then the joys of my love will redeem ye from all pain. This is so: I swear it by the vault of my body; by my sacred heart and tongue; by all I can give, by all I desire of ye all. -
Nuit gives bottom-line instructions. She promises results. She then seals this promise with a very firm pledge.
The promise is very simple: The result of the assigned practice is that the joys of Nuit's love will redeem us all from all pain.
So simple. So complete. So desirable.
Of course, per verse 22 - exactly ten verses back! - there is no difference to be made between the pain and the love. It is clear that the present "come on" would not serve as an inducement to any who had availed themselves of that instruction. But that is more or less the point. Such a person would already have attained the reward here offered.
The technical method prescribed has three steps. It is a complete curriculum of Thelemic mysticism.
- "Obey my prophet!"
- "follow out the ordeals of my knowledge!"
- "seek me only!"
In v. 26 we saw that Nuit's prophet refers to AC. This is seemingly confirmed elsewhere in the Book, and by the circumstances of its dictation; nor does it offend the powers of reason.
I am compelled (by His hand who writes for me) to observe that the phrase "Obey my [i.e. Nuit's] prophet!" means to obey the HGA who is, to each, the sole prophet of Nu. This is a specific meaning only of value to the Adept. The real inner Hierophant is the HGA; but AC took the role of outer Hierophant for those who still need such a thing (which should mean all non-Adepts - everyone that does not yet have conscious communion with the HGA).
So I believe, to the Adept, the instruction is "Obey the HGA," and to the Man of Earth it is to follow the instructions provided by 666.
Steps (2) and (3) are closely related. They merge quickly. To seek Her only is to encounter, experience, and "follow out" the ordeals of Her knowledge (i.e. of the progressive union with Her).
Again, this is an instruction for the Adeptus Minor directly from and concerning the HGA, and the promise is the same.
"Obey" derives from the Latin root oboedire literally means, "to listen to," from ob + audire.
Nuit's oath is the final item of this verse. She swears by all that She is. Note that her "sacred heart and tongue" is also her "secret centre," Hadit (v. 6).
Oaths are normally taken on that which one regards as sacred or otherwise special. Nuit is thus communicating the sacredness of the vault of her body (which at least means the arch of heaven), and of Hadit; as well as all that we exchange with Her, i.e., all that She can give, and all that She desires of us all.
This verse is of obvious teaching value.
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Recently, when I've gone through something difficult or when worry and stress take my attention I am reminded of verse 31. "...care not thou at all!". From the viewpoint of Eternity the details and parts of my life that aren't concerned with my True Will .."feel little.." and are "...balanced by weak joys..." The joy that was pointed out in the previous verses is of dissolution and a realization that there is no difference between any thing.
The instructions in verse 32 are straightforward, but the hurdles in them are what I trip over constantly - maybe every second of my existence. To be purified of all else besides the living in obedience to Her prophet and the following out of all of our tasks in dedication unto Nuit is no short order! This brought to mind a part of De Lege Libellum in the section on Liberty:
"Reason itself will attack you, saying: how can so strict a bondage be the Path of Freedom? Persevere. You have never yet known Liberty. When the temptations are overcome, the voice of Reason silenced, then will your soul bound forward unhampered upon its chosen course, and for the first time will you experience the extreme delight of being Master of Yourself, and therefore of the Universe."
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Keep working with the tools you have.