⁰ In the name of the Lord of Initiation, Amen.

¹ I fly and I alight as an hawk: ^bof mother-of-emerald are my mighty-sweeping wings. ² I swoop down upon the black earth; ^band it gladdens into green at my coming.

³ Children of Earth! ^brejoice! rejoice exceedingly; ^cfor your salvation is at hand. ⁴ The end of sorrow is come; ^bI will ravish you away into mine unutterable joy. ⁵ I will kiss you, and bring you to the bridal: ^bI will spread a feast before you in the house of happiness.

⁶ I am not come to rebuke you, or to enslave you. ⁷ I bid you not turn from your voluptuous ways, from your idleness, from your follies. ⁸ But I bring you joy to your pleasure, peace to your languor, wisdom to your folly. ⁹ All that ye do is right, ^bif so be that ye enjoy it. ¹⁰ I am come against sorrow, against weariness, against them that seek to enslave you.

¹¹ I pour you lustral wine, ^bthat giveth you delight both at the sunset and the dawn. ¹² Come with me, ^band I will give you all that is desirable upon the earth. ¹³ Because I give you that of which Earth and its joys are but as shadows. ¹⁴ They flee away, ^bbut my joy abideth even unto the end.

¹⁵ I have hidden myself beneath a mask: ^bI am a black and terrible God. ¹⁶ With courage conquering fear shall ye approach me: ^bye shall lay down your heads upon mine altar, expecting the sweep of the sword. ¹⁷ But the first kiss of love shall be radiant on your lips; ^band all my darkness and terror shall turn to light and joy. ¹⁸ Only those who fear shall fail. ^bThose who have bent their backs to the yoke of slavery until they can no longer stand upright; ^cthem will I despise. ¹⁹ But you who have defied the law; ^byou who have conquered by subtlety or force; ^cyou will I take unto me, even I will take you unto me. ²⁰ I ask you to sacrifice nothing at mine altar; ^bI am the God who giveth all.

²¹ Light, Life, Love; Force, Fantasy, Fire; ^bthese do I bring you: ^cmine hands are full of these. ²² There is joy in the setting-out; ^bthere is joy in the journey; ^cthere is joy in the goal. ²³ Only if ye are sorrowful, or weary, or angry, or discomforted; ^bthen ye may know that ye have lost the golden thread, ^cthe thread wherewith I guide you to the heart of the groves of Eleusis.

²⁴ My disciples are proud and beautiful; ^bthey are strong and swift; ^cthey rule their way like mighty conquerors. ²⁵ The weak, the timid, the imperfect, the cowardly, the poor, the tearful – ^bthese are mine enemies, ^cand I am come to destroy them. ²⁶ This also is compassion: ^ban end to the sickness of earth. ^cA rooting-out of the weeds: ^da watering of the flowers.

²⁷ O my children, ^bye are more beautiful than the flowers: ^cye must not fade in your season. ²⁸ I love you; ^bI would sprinkle you with the divine dew of immortality. ²⁹ This immortality is no vain hope beyond the grave: ^bI offer you the certain consciousness of bliss. ³⁰ I offer it at once, on earth; ^bbefore an hour hath struck upon the bell, ^cye shall be with Me in the Abodes that are beyond Decay. ³¹ Also I give you power earthly and joy earthly; ^bwealth, and health, and length of days. ^cAdoration and love shall cling to your feet, ^dand twine around your heart. ³² Only your mouths shall drink of a delicious wine – the wine of Iacchus; ^bthey shall reach ever to the heavenly kiss of the Beautiful God.

³³ I reveal unto you a great mystery. ^bYe stand between the abyss of height and the abyss of depth. ³⁴ In either awaits you a Companion; ^band that Companion is Yourself. ³⁵ Ye can have no other Companion.

³⁶ Many have arisen, being wise. ^bThey have said, ^c‘Seek out the glittering Image in the place ever golden, and unite yourselves with It.’ ³⁷ Many have arisen, being foolish. ^bThey have said, ^c‘Stoop down unto the darkly splendid world, and be wedded to that Blind Creature of the Slime.’ ³⁸ I who am beyond Wisdom and Folly, arise and say unto you: ^bachieve both weddings! ^cUnite yourselves with both! ³⁹ Beware, beware, I say, ^blest ye seek after the one and lose the other!

⁴⁰ My adepts stand upright; ^btheir head above the heavens, ^ctheir feet below the hells. ⁴¹ But since one is naturally attracted to the Angel, another to the Demon, ^blet the first strengthen the lower link, ^cthe last attach more firmly to the higher. ⁴² Thus shall equilibrium become perfect. ^bI will aid my disciples; ^cas fast as they acquire this balanced power and joy so faster will I push them.

⁴³ They shall in their turn speak from this Invisible Throne; ^btheir words shall illumine the worlds. ⁴⁴ They shall be masters of majesty and might; ^bthey shall be beautiful and joyous; ^cthey shall be clothed with victory and splendour; ^dthey shall stand upon the firm foundation; ^ethe kingdom shall be theirs; yea, the kingdom shall be theirs.

^fIn the name of the Lord of Initiation. Amen.