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LIBER CXXIV

Of Eden and the Sacred Oak:and of the Greater and Lesser Hospitality of the O.T.O.

an Epistle of Baphomet to His Excellency James Thomas Windram,Very Holy, Very Illuminated, Very Illustrious, Initiate of the Sanctuary of the Gnosis,

his Viceroy in the Union of South frica!

"o #hat thou #ilt shall $e the #hole of the %a#!

It has seemed fitting to Us to explain in a familiar form and simple the general principles of thegovernment of the Profess-Hoses of or Hol! "rder# so that the $%%ot and $%%ess of ever! schhose shall nderstand %! &hat paths to prse the great aims &hich inspire Us to the serviceof or Brethren'

1' (%)ect to the general discipline of the "rder ever! $%%ot is to %e a%solte master of the

hose of &hich he is in charge' *ost of &hat follo&s is therefore sggestion onl!'

2' +he first principle of the gro&th of the "rder as of all living things is modlation orvariation, niformit! is to %e detested as a s!m%ol of death' +herefore each Profess-Hose isexpected to develop a special character of its o&n# s%)ect to certain %road principles rootedin hman natre and each Profess-Hose shold %e the artistic expression of the creativegenis and tre character of its $%%ot' (ome &ill therefore lean to the t!pe of a cl%# othersagain to that of the college or niversit!# &hile !et others &ill %e set definitel! apart for theprposes of orphanages# schools or hospitals' Bt let each $%%ot see. &ith tmost diligence his/ill# and express the same in the particlar rles &hich he ma! ma.e for the order of hishose'

+!pes of hoses &hich are fond nnecessar! or inconvenient &ill tend to disappear those

&hich are fond generall! sita%le &ill tend to mltipl!'

It is therefore to %e nderstood that the athorities of the "rder charged &ith the discipline ofthe Profess-Hoses &ill not interfere &ith the /ill of the $%%ot# nless he himself shold set popposition to his o&n /ill as expressed in his o%ligations solemnl! ta.en to the "rder %!removing its landmar.s or impinging its grand principles' +he disrption in his o&n 0atrecased there%! mst case inevita%l! the rin of his hose and athorit! &ill in sch a caseavert the threatened disaster %efore its effects %ecome manifest'

3' Concerning Eden and the "a. it is not necessar! that I shold &rite openl! to !o' "nl! inthose hoses &hose $%%ot hold the (eventh 1egree &ill this 2estion arise' $nd it is heresfficient to sa! that the ideal condition &ill %e that a Profess-Hose shold enshrine for ormore dedicated ministrants to the "'+'"' in the special sense of those letters &hich is .no&n tohigher Initiates# and sch shold %e regarded &ith the most particlar deference andreverence# &hile at the same time their loft! voe& of service for%ids them to share directl! orindirectl! in the government of the hose' +his ordinance is precise# and infringement &illinvolve the removal of the $%%ot' He &ill hold no intimate commnication of an! sort &ith theaforesaid ministrants# except in accordance &ith the terms of his vo& as (overeign 3randInspector 3eneral'

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+he s!m%ol of the Profess-Hose is therefore a great "a. from &hich flo& streams of &ater toever! 2arter fertilising indeed the grond a%ot the hill and fortif!ing &ith moistre the rootsof the oa. itself# %t not edd!ing a%ot it and sapping its fondations'

$nd in the spread of this Eden shall man! men re)oice# ta.ing shelter %eneath overspreading%ranches# and refreshing their &ear! lim%s in the fresh &aters of the font celestial pre'

$lternativel!# the s!m%ol ma! %e that of a &ell in the desert# sheltered %! for great palms'

4.4amiliart! and vlgarit! are not to %e tolerated in an! Profess-Hose of the "rder' 1ignit!and eti2ette are to %e strictl! o%served' Ever! mem%er of the "rder is to remem%erconstantl! that he is a 5ing living among 5ings# na!# a 3od in the compan! of 3ods, and )ollit!iteself is to %e recogni6ed as a rital of cosmic importance# as it is said 7+he stars also sangtogether'7 +he .e! of all condct# generall! spea.ing# is to ma.e ever! common thing no%le#ever! small thing great' In salting a %rother# therefore# thin. that this is the conference oft&o might! monarchs on a matter affecting the destin! of empires' Lagh &ho &ill that this isthe ma.e-%elief of children, it is !et the fondation of good manners' (neer that it is pandering

to hman vanit!, vanit! is the father of self-confidence, and that is the father of po&er' +hosefools that fall li.e *alvolio# let them %e medicined %! the rogh .iss of earth# and if need %e %!the honest laghter of their fello&s# for this is not far from the essence of the Comed! of Pan'Bt no man is to %e despised, for he is a hero# having ta.en pon himself the %rdern of fleshfor the flfillment of his /ill' 8o .no& &ell that &hich is spo.e# 7(ee. Beat!9 In Beat! iseternal +rth revealed97 +he artist is he &ho can discover Beat! in all things# for nothing iscommon or nclean, and %! nvar!ing determination to discover %eat! man comes to theheaven of the artist' B! %eat!# moreover# /e mean not an! conventional t!pe of sensos%eat! it lies in the d&arfts of Velas2e6 and the monsters of Ra%elais as in the &omen of+itian and the heroes of Homer, nor shall one %rother do other&ise than lament if he %e solimited in vision that he cannot see %eat! in that &hich enchants another'

5' +here is no rle &ith regard to the degree of lxr! to %e o%served in an! Profess-Hose'

+ravelling %rethren are to accommodate themselves gladl! to the plan.-%ed of one $%%ot as tothe eiderdo&n of his neigh%or either ma! %e a paradise of love or sleep# as the /ill of himthat lieth thereon ma! conceive for it is or $rt to discover ecstas! in all things that ma!exist' 8et this is cardinal to the door of ever! Profess-Hose of or "rder# that or great andsecret $rt is developed throgh the )o!s of la%or' 7/or. and %e or %ed in &or.ing97 as thogh!or toil &as the %asis of the ecstac! of the *arriage of the 3ods9 Ever! Profess-Hose istherefore in some sort a &or.-hose# and a certain simplicit! and asterit! shold thereforminform even the tmost lxr!' 7/isdom sa!s %e strong9 +hen canst tho %ear more )o!' Be notanimal, refine th! raptre9 If tho drin.# drin. %! the eight and ninet! rles of art if tho love#exceed %! delicac!, and if tho do aght )o!os# let there %e s%tlet! therein9 Bt exceed9exceed97

+he rles of H!geine are therefore to %e o%served' $ &ise man &ill train for a dinner as he

&old for a race' +o en)o! half-&armed +i%etan mtton# the no%lest dish &e .no it isnecessar! to starve for six &ee.s pon a glacier, and the man &ho has attained Prat!hara cano%tain more pleasre from the movements of one mscle of his foot than a /estern millionairefrom his first season in 0e& 8or. Cit!' +he lxries of the rich are not for all and there is %tpassing pleasre in them' It is the $rt of "r "rder to .ill the %elief that happiness of evenpleasre lives in rare things or inaccessi%le# for this is %t a foll! as that of the child that criesfor the moon' +he $%%ot of ever! Profess-Hose is therefore expected to %e an Epicrs# amaster of pleasre# an instrctor in delight, and he is to .no& ho& to o%tain all )o!# and to %ea%le to teach others to o%tain it# %! means that are &ithin the reach of all men# excite no

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env!# and %eget no selfishness' $sceticism is not encoraged# save in its old 3ree. sense ofspreme excellence of ph!sical condition, all so-called :denial of self: is Restriction# &hich is:+he &ord of (in': It is not ;self-denial< for a man to refse pleasres that hrt his health, for hechooses this corse in order to o%tain the greater pleasre of &ell-%eing' Confsion of thoghton this s%)ect is so common that /e have no shame in explaining the tre vie& ths fll!'

' /hen a gest arrives# at a Profess-Hose# the first evening shold %e set apart to ma.inghim thrice &elcome# and it shold %e as far as possi%le the /ill of all to ac2iesce in the /illof the gest' 4rom the follo&ing morning he %ecomes# as the vlgar phrase it# :one of thefamil!#: and he settles do&n to the rotine of the hose' *em%ers of the (eventh and Higher1egrees are natrall! received &ith ver! special honor'

!' In the theor! of the "rder# the gest

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stop ntil it %ecomes free' In practice this method has %een fond to &or. &ith greatperfection' $fter t&o or three incidents of this .ind# the tro%le does not recr, shold it doso# let the $%%ot consider &ell if he %e not seriosl! in falt of fairness or consideration'

12' *em%ers of the "rder &ho ma.e se of an! Profess-Hose are expected to offer to pa! fortheir entertainment at a rate one hndred per cent higher than that &hich is crrent for similar

entertainments in the district' Bt the $%%ot &ill not exact or expect sch pa!ment# %tneither %esto& pon his gests a present' +he conflict is to %e decided %! consideration of therelative means of the traveller and the Profess-Hose' +hs let s%stantial )stice %e done %!&a! of a contention in generosit!# instead of social meanness'

Pa!ment is never accepted for an! stranger received for one night onl! nder clase A# %tshold sch a person desire to )oin the "rder# he ma! %e initiated in the Lodge ad)nct to theProfess-Hose according to the La&s of the "rder# and then %ecome entitled to all itsprivileges'

13' +he Profess-Hoses of the "rder are not to %e distingished in an! &a! from the otherhoses of the neigh%orhood# except those &hich are dedicated to special prposes# &hich &illor &ill not %e made .no&n to strangers as the Vicero! of the Province ma! decide'

14' Ever! Profess-Hose shold develop strongl! its o&n specific tradition# and the individalit!of that tradition# %! the initiation of cstoms pecliar to itself' +he model ma! %e a madhoseor a niversit!# a nnner! or a %rothel this matters nothing, intrinsic strength# and po&er ofadapta%ilit! to environment &ill srvice and gro&n' Bt intensit! of tradition# and pecliarit!of cstom# &ill tend to limit the gro&th and prevent it from attaining n&ield! proportions'Commnes# rather than cities# &ill develop a%ot each parent hose' 8et the interestpresented to the "rder in general %! the individalit! of each hose &ill stimlate Brethren tovisit and ensre the constant interchange of ideas' 4rther# the pecliarit! of cstom &ill %egetesprit de corps and sch generos rivalr! as no& prevails %et&een the Universities of "xfordand Cam%ridge# o&ing to the application of the principles a%ove set forth'

15' It is impossi%le to declare in an epistle &hat shold properl! form the s%)ect of a great

treatise, and it has therefore seemed good to Us merel! to )ot casal thoghts sch as mightprove of interest not so mch to !orself alone as to those &ho &ishing frther information&ith regard to the pecliarities of or great and hol! "rder# ma! in2ire of !o concerning orrles'

0o& there is no la& %e!ond 1o &hat tho &ilt and the o%)ect of rles is therefore onl! toassre to all men the %est conditions for the exection of their /ills'

%o'e is the la#, lo'e under #ill!

+he 3lor! of the $ll-4ather %e pon !o# and o! nttera%le in the po&er of Him that &e have.no&n'

/ith or paternal %enediction

%apho&et

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+ext "rdo +empli "rientis' $ll rights reserved'

5e! entr! and H+*L coding %! 4rater +'(' for (n&heel "asis# "'+'"'