Frank Bennett Diary Entry

Sunday, 21 August 1921

Very few people have a clear conception of what Magick is. It may be said to be the whole science of life, both physical and spiritual. The Magician works in a Temple which is the whole Universe, for it must be understood that everything which he uses is a symbol to him of some reality.

He stands in a Circle, which is the symbol of his work; that is, to unite himself with God. He is the Microcosm, which he is going to make into the Macrocosm. His Wand is the symbol of his will. His Sword is his reason, which is directed against everything that may attack him, but chiefly to cut away his own complexities. The Cup is his understanding; this he fills with the blood of his understanding—that is, he must know all his strengths and weaknesses, his desire and the object of that desire; in fact, he must know himself, and pour his all into this Cup, even the object of his desire which is God, and offer it as a sacrifice.
Thus gradually he begins to unify his consciousness with the divine. He finds that he is not limited by the physical world; the spiritual life breaks in upon his mind, with the light of clear vision, in which he begins to feel and know something of his true nature as a spiritual being. Having in this way made all his desires into one object, he is then ready to begin his ceremony.

The Magical Ceremony at the Abbey [Abbey of Thelema] is performed by the Chief Priest, and is intended for the instruction of those fortunate enough to be disciples of the Priest and the members of the Abbey. He takes his place in the East of the Circle, and the disciples sit round it; an altar stands in the North on which burns a large candle, and on which are placed the other symbols of his will. He gives one knock, rises, walks silently and stealthily round the Circle like a panther about to spring on its prey; suddenly he stops in the East, as if he had found something in his nature which must be eliminated and destroyed. He makes a sign, and pronounces a word. Then he walks on again stealthily, and with the same panther like tread, as if still not satisfied but that the Circle—which is the symbol of his sphere or environment—contains something evil. He again seems to have found something inimical to his will, for he stops in the West, pronounces another word of power, and gives the sign of power. This he does until the four quarters of his nature have been purified with the words and signs of power. He then stands in the centre of the Circle, and formulates himself at one with the Pentagram and Hexagram, and gives adoration to that Universal Force with which in symbol he has identified himself, in a voice of low full tone, rising in a crescendo of sound vibrations that seem to resound and echo through the whole Universe, and at last come back and settle somewhere in the subconscious self, making one feel at peace with the whole world—what at that moment seems to exist in the inner self; the whole nature of one's being seems to expand and a fuller consciousness flood in upon the mind; which makes one feel a new being. All is silent again—the Priest has returned to his throne in the East.

Then one of his disciples rises, takes a sacred book from the altar, and reads the Collects, which recognize the forces visible and invisible, the source of Life, source of Love, Liberty, and Light, and offer thanks and Love in return. Then are recognized all the known men who have attained to the light and knowledge of the Gnosis. These Collects end with thanksgiving for the principal events in life—Birth, Marriage, and Death, and finally with an acclamation that all may accomplish their own True Wills, that of uniting themselves with God.

The Priest then begins again, and recites these words:

Thou who art I, beyond all I am,

Who hast no nature and no name,

Who art, when all but Thou art gone,

Thou, centre and secret of the Sun,

Thou, hidden spring of all things known.

And unknown, Thou aloof, alone,

Thou, the true fire within the seed,

Of Life, Love, Liberty, and Light,

Thou beyond speech and beyond sight,

Thee I invoke, my faint fresh fire

Kindling as mine intents aspire.

Thee I invoke, abiding one,

Thee, centre and secret of the Sun,

And that most holy mystery

Of which the vehicle am I.

Appear, most awful and most mild,

As it is lawful, to thy child!

His voice, which began low and quiet, gradually became louder and lovelier, and then fell again into almost a whisper at the last line. The influence of this Ceremony is tremendous, and one can truly understand the saying of St. Paul: one does not know whether in the body or out of the body, but one has seen and heard things that it is not lawful for man to utter. For one reason, because he cannot.

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