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Aleister Crowley Diary Entry [undated] Sunday 11 December and Saturday, 31 December 1898
Notes of Astral Travel
No. 15. “For Rest”. (L.B.R. [Lesser Banishing Ritual])
Actual temple seen greatly beautified.
Arise in long column of white film.
Pastures. Shining steel—grey—silver figure (no sword).
Welcome. To blue pool of water. I enter as half swimming half diving.
Water deliciously cool and refreshing.
Silvery palace. Beautiful creatures playing about.
I go up in “a cloud of water” as a lily and unfold. Am in a garden of lilies, still as a lily.
Become man-form with arms out (
While in this position an angel descends with a green garland for me. I am unwilling to put it on but at last do so, and then sacrifice it. It becomes a crown of fire (?) I am asked will I be of the guard? I am armed by maidens (?)—silver armour with a red tabard. I am taken to the north entrance. Many people trying to enter. They are very material. They give way before me. I am told to smite. I do so three times (?) and a wail arises. I descend among them, leaving my sword. Thinking I have forgotten it, I try to return. In vain. I am armed with lightnings. I look steeply down hollow column of rolling smoke—earth below, dark and strong. I endeavour to expand my consciousness to include All. (Long business this). Moderate success. I return to the outside of the temple, go to the West door and re-enter. Finding a gold crown on my head I hold it up and in the vapour. It becomes white light. It is pressed on my head (By an angel?) Feeling as if a cold shower of gold was falling through me. I go upward into another temple. Am conducted to S., a shrine where light goes through and through me. I am blind. Am led to N., a shrine (Binah) where "cold molten silver" touches my eyes and I see vaguely a female figure. I return to central altar; everything falls from me and I descend to earth, assuming sword and red to menace astrals. I return.
[The following narrative is the version of this Astral Vision that was printed in "The Temple of Solomon the King (Book III)" in The Equinox vol. I No. 2.]
No. 15. This vision was undertaken to obtain rest. It took place in the actual temple built by P., and, as was generally the case, it was commenced by the “ Lesser Banishing Ritual.”
“Slowly the actual temple in which I was standing became wonderfully beautified, and a white shining film floated in feathers over the surface of the floor on which I was standing, and winding itself about me, formed a great column which carried me up through the roof to a great height. Then I found, as the cloud fell away from me, that I was standing in a fair green field, and by me in great solemnity stood a shining steel—grey—silver figure, unarmed.
“ ‘Welcome,’ said the stranger with a cold dignity. “Then he led me to a blue pool of water, and bade me plunge into it, which I did, half diving and half swimming, sending a million sparkling sapphires of water dancing in the light.
“The water was deliciously cool and refreshing, and as I struck out in it, I soon saw that I must have made a mistake, for the far shore was a great distance from me, and on it I could see shining a silvery palace.
“As I neared it I leapt to the shore, and there I found, as I approached the wonderful building, many beautiful creatures playing about it. But my haste in leaving the blue waters had been ill-advised; for suddenly a great cloud of water enveloped me, and catching me up, carried me to a great height. Then I discovered that I had been changed into a lily, whose white petals were unfolded, and that I was growing in a garden, white with a multitude of the same wonderful flowers.
“Not over long had I been there, when the form of man was again given to me, and I threw my arms above my head and then extended them, forming a cross.
“I was standing in silver-grey garments, and before me was a great white marble temple. At once I prostrated myself, and then entered. Before me I saw that all was white and fine within, and that in the temple stood a cubical altar of silver.
“I knelt before the altar; and as I did so a coldness and moisture seemed to descend upon me, which thrilled me with a delicious freshness like the falling dew. From it a cool stream arose, in the limpid waters of which I bathed my hands. Whilst in this position an angel descended with a green garment and gave it me. At first I was unwilling to wear it, but presently I did so, and after I had worn it a little while, I sacrificed it before me, when at once it became a crown of fire.
“Then a voice said to me: ‘Wilt thou be of the guard?’ and before I could answer yea, or nay, most lovely maidens surrounded me and armed me in silver armour and a red tabard.
“From where I had been standing as led to the Northern entrance, where crowded a great concourse of people, and as I, approached them they gave way before me. Then a voice whispered to me ‘ Smite’ ; thereupon, drawing my sword with fury I smote three times, upon which a great wailing arose.
“Having smitten down many with those three blows, I descended among them, but left my sword behind me. Thinking I had forgotten it, in vain I tried to return, and in my strivings was of a sudden armed with many potent lightnings; then at my feet there fell away a great hollow column of rolling smoke. Seeing it, I approached it and gazing down it, beheld at its furthermost extremity the earth, dark and strong. As I watched it rolling below me, a great desire possessed me to expand my consciousness and include All. This took me a vast time to accomplish, and even then my success was but moderate.
“From the column of smoke I returned to the outside of the temple and re-entered it by the Western door. Finding a gold crown upon my head, I held it up, and in the white vapour it glowed like a white light. Then an angel approached me and pressed it on to my brow, and as this was done, a feeling possessed me as if a cold shower of gold was falling through me. Then of a sudden was I carried upwards, and found myself in a second temple. Here I was conducted to the South, where stood a glittering shrine, and the light which flashed from it pierced me through and through. Blinded by the effulgence, I was led to the North to another shrine (Binah) where my eyes were anointed with cold molten silver, and immediately I saw vaguely before me a female form.
“After this I returned to the central altar, where everything fell from me, and then I returned to earth, assuming my sword and red robe to dominate the astrals. Thus did I return.”
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thus [. . .] to
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Silver grey garments. White marble temple. Prostration and
enter. (Guide?) All white and fine within. Cubical altar of
silver. I kneel before it. Cold and moisture. Delicious
chill throughout. A cool stream arises. I bathe my hands in
it.