EDITORIAL
THE price of this Magazine is now six shillings, and the size reduced. If the
whole edition is sold immediately, there should be a matter of eighteenpence
left to pay those who have toiled day and night, six months, to bring it to
perfection.
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Readers can help us: firstly, by buying the Edition de Luxe; secondly, by
buying copies for their friends; and thirdly, by advertising with us, or
inducing others to do so.
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After the 21st of April 1911, copies of No. II. of THE EQUINOX, of which
only a few remain, will be sold at ten shillings, instead of five as hitherto.
I should like to call attention to the immense amount of important material
that awaits publication. There is the Sepher Sephiroth, referred to in this
section of the Temple of Solomon the King; the complete writings of Dr Dee and
Sir Edward Kelly; a tremendous volume on the Tarot; du Potet's "Magic
Unveiled," translated by John Yarker, the venerable Grand Master General of
the A. and P. rite of Masonry; the Key of the Greater Mysteries, by Eliphas
{1} Levi, and many other important MSS. All this has cost untold labour to me
and my colleagues; but the difficulties of editing and publishing still
confront us.
I am therefore appealing for helpers among those who are interested in the
clear and scholarly statement of what the famous adepts of the past have
thought and handed down, either by word or pen.
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777 is almost out of print. Less than 100 copies remain.1 A new edition
is in preparation, but will not be issued in all probability for two years at
least. Verb. sap.
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I have been asked by Authority to say a few words on the relations which
should subsist between a Neophyte and his Probationers. Though a Neophyte is
obliged to show "zeal in service" towards his probationers, it is no part of
his duty to be continually beating the tattoo. He has his own work to do ___
very serious and important work ___ and he cannot be expected to spend all his
time in making silk purses out of pigs' ears. He is not expected to set
definite tasks, nor has he authority to do so. The Probationer is purposely
left to himself, as the object of probation is principally that those in
authority may discover the nature of the raw material. It is the duty of the
Probationer to perform the exercises recommended in his text-books, and to
submit the record of his results for criticism. If he hinds himself in a
difficulty, or if any unforeseen result occurs, he should communicate with his
Neophyte, and he should {2} remember that although he is permitted to select
the practices which appeal to him, he is expected to show considerable
acquaintance with all of them. More than acquaintance, it should be
experience; otherwise what is he to do when as a Neophyte he is consulted by
his Probationers? It is important that he should be armed at all points, and
1 WEH NOTE: This false statement by George Raffalovich led to
Crowley withdrawing the large remainder from sales and breaking
with Raffalovich.
I am authorised to say that no one will be admitted as a Neophyte unless his
year's work gives evidence of considerable attainment in the fundamental
practices, Asana, Pranayama, assumption of God-formns, vibration of divine
names, rituals of banishing and invoking, and the practices set out in
sections 5 and 6 of Liber O. Although he is not examined in any of these, the
elementary experience is necessary in order that he may intelligently assist
those who will be under him.
But let no one imagine that those in authority will urge probationers to
work hard. Those who are incapable of hard work may indeed be pushed along,
but the moment that the pressure is removed they will fall back, and it is not
the purpose of the A. A. to do anything else than to make its students
independent and free. Full instruction has been placed within the reach of
everybody; let them see to it that they make full use of that instruction.
{3}