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The PowerAndThe Glory
By Le MatIllustrations fromThe Alchemical TarotBy Robert M. Place
 
The Power
We must witness each and every thing without everflinching, for that is what is required of us, upon eachpassing revolution of the heavenly orbs, great andsmall, until the end of time itself. We, the Elohim,would wish sometimes for that ending to come soonerrather than later. For, both men and women, theplethora of human life, young and old, are apt to dogross acts to themselves and to others, wittingly orunwittingly. We must watch each and every oneunremittingly. We watch uncensored.Many are the ignoble acts. Few are the noble, evenamong those who should know better. They have eyesfor us, as we have for them. But our eyes are unseenand sometimes unheeded. There can be nothing toocclude our view of their unabashed shamery. But of those acts that doennoble the whole, even a little, like yeast that raises the stature of breadfrom mere biscuit to Manna from Heaven, we do most sincerely applaudthese, not with a clapping of hands but with a deep sigh of satisfaction.We speak of an Order, a Fraternity: an unchristened babe. Their work to usis of importance, for life is no game of chance; appearances do deceivethe uninitiated. But for the brethren that enter, seemingly for the firsttime, our work upon them recommences as their work for us and others of our kind becomes initiated, degree by painful degree. Work of Spirit is notunlike a cooking of fresh stock. Bones, vegetables and herbs have wateradded so that they together may be brought to the boil. But scum rises tothe surface and must quickly be skimmed off, lest the stock becomescloudy and bitter. Once stock is carelessly ruined it cannot be saved, andmust a new batch be made.An argument arose within the Order we speak of,about a seemingly trifling matter. A gift had beenbestowed, one to another, freely and without usury of any kind. The gift was towards some function of theOrder so that both could attend on the day. But therecipient, closer to that day, found that it had becomeimpossible to attend. Songs that begin sweetly shouldend so. Gift or no gift, from whoever, to whomsoever,the Order duly returned the portion taxed. Take it orleave it! One word, now, against another. This hasbeen the end of many bodies of spiritual repute,where the corporate part becomes heavier at the topthan at the bottom, when that which should be theservant of the body is found to have become themaster of it, causing the whole to crash and be dashedto pieces.Who knows the falsity that hides like a fox in holes? Truth never hides,though falsity sometimes does Truth the compliment of masquerading asit until severely tested. Who would submit to such a test? Who would giveup both all they have and are for the Truth to shine and be revealed astrue? Of words that cut there are too many for our liking. How, now, you
 
cats! Be so that claws are in and swords unsheathed. Let battlecommence, disputed Truth against apparent Truth. So to it and enough of your mewing! To such as would submit to our seeming madness, ourbloodlust, we return strength upon strength manytimes over. We appear by our handiwork to beirrational, our tests unfair, beyond the pale,outrageous in the extreme, but our logic is as keen asany steel blade. We are coolly rational in a way thatseems to the mole an alien thing, as alien to he as heis to us. Let the keeper of untruth flinch andcompound weakness upon weakness, to slink off indisgrace. For all a basilisk's foetid breath and icyglances it shall be found to have come to naught; thenshall the swords rest for a time, their hissing fangssilent. But shall come a day, a glorious day unlike anyother in the history of all that has been, is now, andshall be until the clock winds down, when even swordssurrender to completion of their work.
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uploaded a new revision for this document (#3)

12 / 27 / 2009

uploaded a new revision for this document (#2)

12 / 27 / 2009
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