The Key of the Mysteries-Eliphas Levi

THE KEY OF THE MYSTERIES

(LA CLEF DES GRANDS MYSTERES)BYELIPHAS LEVITHE KEY OF THE MYSTERIESACCORDING TOENOCH, ABRAHAM, HERMES TRISMEGISTESAND SOLOMONBYELIPHAS LEVITRANSLATED, WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY ALEISTER CROWLEY{Illustration on this page described (located at the left):This is an elaborate symbol in the form of a barrel key. The shank is vertical and to the bottom.Three flat bits extend to the right, with three projections at the upper edge of each. There is a largecircular ring at top. Down the shank, from top: "R" inverted, Sun, Moon, Mercury, circle (probablyfor Mars), Venus, Jupiter and Saturn. Above the top bit: "DEUS", on that bit "rouge". Above themiddle bit: "HOMO", on that bit "blanc". Above the bottom bit: "TORA", on that bit "bleu". Thering has a "T" above the top, "A" to right and "O" to left (with the "R" on the shank, "TORA").Outside at the upper left, a cup, upper right a Pantacle, lower right a dagger and lower left a wand.On the ring itself, the numbers from 1 to 20 arch over the top half, left to right and the Alphabet incapital letters on the lower half from left to right. Inside, the ring is quartered by horizontal andvertical diameters. The left upper quadrant has the sign of Aquarius, upper right the eagle head of Scorpio, lower right the sign of Leo and lower left the bull's head of Taurus. In the center there is ahexagram made up of two triangles, one apex to bottom and the other to top. The outer threetriangular points of the inverted triangle are shaded. In the heptagon formed in the center is HB:Yod-Heh-Vau-Heh}"Religion says: --- 'Believe and you will understand.' Science comes to say to you: --- 'Understandand you will believe.'"At that moment the whole of science will change front; the spirit, so long dethroned and forgotten,will take its ancient place; it will be demonstrated that the old traditions are all true, that the whole of paganism is only a system of corrupted and misplaced truths, that it is sufficient to cleanse them, soto say, and to put them back again in their place, to see them shine with all their rays. In a word, allideas will change, and since on all sides a multitude of the elect cry in concert, 'Come, Lord, come!'why should you blame the men who throw themselves forward into that majestic future, and pridethemselves on having foreseen it?"(J. De Maistre, "Soirees de St. Petersbourg.")

TRANSLATOR'S NOTEIN the biographical and critical essay which Mr. Waite prefixes to his "Mysteries of Magic" he says:"A word must be added of the method of this digest, which claims to be something more thantranslation and has been infinitely more laborious. I believe it to be in all respects faithful, and whereit has been necessary or possible for it to be literal, there also it is invariably literal."We agree that it is either more or less than translation, and the following examples selected at hazardin the course of half-an-hour will enable the reader to judge whether Mr. Waite is acquainted witheither French or English:"Gentilhomme" --- "Gentleman.""The nameless vice which was reproached "against" the Templars.""Certaines circonstances ridicules et un proces en escroquerie" --- "Certain ridiculous processes anda swindling lawsuit.""Se mele de dogmatiser" --- "Meddles with dogmatism.""La vie pour lui suffisait a l'expiation des plus grands crimes, puis qu'elle etait la consequence d'unarret de mort" --- "According to him life was sufficient for the greatest crimes, since "these" were theresult of a death sentence.""Vos meilleurs amis ont du concevoir des inquietudes" --- "Your best friends have been reasonablyanxious." (The mistranslation here turns the speech into an insult.) {v}"Sacro-sainte" --- "Sacred and saintly.""Auriculaire" --- "Index.""N'avez vous pas obtenu tout ce que vous demandiez, et plus que vous ne demandiez, car vous nem'aviez pas parle d'argent?" --- "Have you not had all and more than you wanted, and there has beenno question of remuneration?" (This mistranslation makes nonsense of the whole passage.)"Eliphas n'etait pas a la question" --- "Eliphas was not under cross- examination.""Mauvais plaisant" --- "Vicious jester.""Si vous n'aviez pas ... vous deviendriez" --- "If you have not ... you may become." (Thismistranslation turns a compliment into an insult.)"An awful and ineffaceable tableaux.""Peripeties" --- "Circumstances.""Il avait fait partie du clerge de Saint Germain l'Auxerrois" ---"He was of the Society of St. Germainl'Auxerrois.""Bruit de tempete" --- "Stormy sound."We are obliged to mention this matter, as Mr. Waite (by persistent self- assertion) has obtained thereputation of being trustworthy as an editor. On the contrary, he not only mutilates and distorts hisauthors, but, as demonstrated above, he is totally incapable of understanding their simplest phrasesand even their commonest words.{vi}