Liber
Batrachophrenoboocosmomachia
sub Figura DXXXVI
- *.
- Within His skull exist daily thirteen thousand
myriads of Worlds, which draw their existence
from Him, and by Him are upheld. ? I.R.Q. iii.
43.
- 0.
- Let the Practicus study the textbooks of
astronomy, travel, if need be, to a land where
the sun and stars are visible, and observe the
heavens with the best telescopes to which he may
have access. Let him commit to memory the
principal facts, and (at least roughly) the
figures of the science.
- 1.
- Now, since these figures will leave no direct
impression with any precision upon his mind, let
him adopt this practice A.
-
- A. Let the practicus be seated before a bare
square table, and let an unknown number of small
similar objects be thrown by his chela from time
to time upon the table, and by that chela be
hastily gathered up.
Let the Practicus declare at the glance, and the
chela confirm by his count, the number of such
objects.
The practice should be for a quarter of an hour
thrice daily. The maximum number of objects
should at first be seven. This maximum should
increase by one at each practice, provided that
not a single mistake is made by the Practicus in
appreciating the number thrown.
-
- This practice should continue assiduously for at
least one year.
The quickness of the chela in gathering up the
objects is expected to increase with time. The
practice need not be limited to a quarter of an
hour thrice daily after a time, but increased
with discretion. Care must be taken to detect the
first symptoms of fatigue, and to stop, if
possible, even before it threatens. The practised
psychologist learns to recognise even minute
hesitations that mark the forcing of the
attention.
- 2.
- Alternating with the above, let the Practicus
begin this practice B. It is assumed that he has
thoroughly conquered the elementary difficulties
of Dharana, and is able to prevent mental
pictures from altering shape, size and colour
against his will.
-
- B. Seated in the open air, let him endeavour to
form a complete mental picture of himself and his
immediate surroundings. It is important that he
should be in the centre of such picture, and able
to look freely in all directions. the finished
picture should be a complete consciousness of the
whole fixed, clear, and definite.
Let him gradually add to this picture by
including objects more and more distant, until he
have an image of the whole field of vision.
-
- He will probably discover that it is very
difficult to increase the apparent size of the
picture as he proceeds, and it should be his most
earnest endeavour to do so. he should seek in
particular to appreciate distances, almost to the
point of combatting the laws of perspective.
- 3.
- These practices A and B accomplished, and his
studies in astronomy completed, let him attempt
this practice C.
-
- C. Let the Practicus form a mental picture of the
Earth, in particular striving to realize the size
of the Earth in comparison with himself, and let
him not be content until by assiduity he has well
succeeded.
Let him add the moon, keeping well in mind the
relative sizes of, and the distance between, the
planet and its satellite.
-
- He will probably find the final trick of the mind
to be a constant disappearance of the image, and
the appearance of the same upon a smaller scale.
This trick he must outwit by constancy of
endeavour.
-
- He will then in add in turn Venus, Mars, Mercury
and the Sun.
-
- It is permissible at this stage to change the
point of view to the centre of the Sun, and to do
so may add stability to the conception.
-
- The Practicus may then a the Asteroids, Jupiter,
Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. The utmost attention
to detail is now necessary, as the picture is
highly complex, apart from the difficulty of
appreciating relative size and distance.
Let this picture be practised month after month
until it is absolutely perfect. The tendency
which may manifest itself to pass into Dhyana and
Samadhi must be resolutely combated with the
whole strength of the mind.
Let the Practicus then re-commence the picture,
starting from the Sun, and adding the planets one
by one, each with its proper motion, until he
have an image perfect in all respect of the Solar
System as it actually exists. Let him
particularly note that unless the apparent size
approximate to the real, his practice is wasted.
Let him then add a comet to the picture; he may
find, perhaps that the path of this comet may
assist him to expand the sphere of his mental
vision until it include a star.
-
- And thus, gathering one star after another, let
his contemplation become vast as the heaven, in
space and time ever aspiring to the perception of
the Body of Nuit; yea, the Body of Nuit.
Back to Contents