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LIBER TZADDI vel HAMVS HERMETICVS SUB FIGVRA XC | |
| 0. | In the name of the Lord of Initiation, Amen. |
| 1. | I fly and I alight as an hawk: of mother-of-emerald are my mighty-sweeping wings. |
| 2. | I swoop down upon the black earth; and it gladdens into green at my coming. |
| 3. | Children of Earth! rejoice! rejoice exceedingly; for your salvation is at hand. |
| 4. | The end of sorrow is come; I will ravish you away into mine unutterable joy. |
| 5. | I will kiss you, and bring you to the bridal: I will spread a feast before you in the house of happiness. |
| 6. | I am not come to rebuke you, or to enslave you. |
| 7. | I bid you not turn from your voluptuous ways, from your idleness, from your follies. |
| 8. | But I bring you joy to your pleasure, peace to your langour, wisdom to your folly. |
| 9. | All that ye do is right, if so be that ye enjoy it. |
| 10. | I am come against sorrow, against weariness, against them that seek to enslave you. |
| 11. | I pour you lustral wine, that giveth you delight both at the sunset and the dawn. |
| 12. | Come with me, and I will give you all that is desirable upon the earth. |
| 13. | Because I give you that of which Earth and its joys are but as shadows. |
| 14. | They flee away, but my joy abideth even unto the end. |
| 15. | I have hidden myself beneath a mask: I am a black and terrible God. |
| 16. | With courage conquering fear shall ye approach me: ye shall lay down your heads upon mine altar, expecting the sweep of the sword. |
| 17. | But the first kiss of love shall be radiant on your lips; and all my darkness and terror shall turn to light and joy. |
| 18. | Only those who fear shall fail. Those who have bent their backs to the yoke of slavery until they can no longer stand upright; them will I despise. |
| 19. | But you who have defied the law; you who have conquered by subtlety or force; you I will take unto me, even I will take you unto me. |
| 20. | I ask you to sacrifice nothing at mine altar; I am the God who giveth all. |
| 21. | Light, Life, Love; Force, Fantasy, Fire; these do I bring you: mine hands are full of these. |
| 22. | There is joy in the setting-out; there is joy in the journey; there is joy in the goal. |
| 23. | Only if ye are sorrowful, or weary, or angry, or discomforted; then ye may know that ye have lost the golden thread, the thread wherewith I guide you to the heart of the groves of Eleusis. |
| 24. | My disciples are proud and beautiful; they are strong and swift; they rule their way like mighty conquerors. |
| 25. | The weak, the timid, the imperfect, the cowardly, the poor, the tearful - these are mine enemies, and I am come to destroy them. |
| 26. | This also is compassion: an end to the sickness of earth. A rooting out of the weeds: a watering of the flowers. |
| 27. | O my children, ye are more beautiful than the flowers: ye must not fade in your season. |
| 28. | I love you; I would sprinkle you with the divine dew of immortality. |
| 29. | This immortality is no vain hope beyond the grave: I offer you the certain consciousness of bliss. |
| 30. | I offer it at once, on earth; before an hour hath struck upon the bell, ye shall be with Me in the Abodes that are beyond Decay. |
| 31. | Also I give you power earthly and joy earthly; wealth, and health, and length of days. Adoration and love shall cling to your feet, and twine around your heart. |
| 32. | Only your mouths shall drink of a delicious wine - the wine of Iacchus; they shall reach ever to the heavenly kiss of the Beautiful God. |
| 33. | I reveal unto you a great mystery. Ye stand between the abyss of height, and the abyss of depth. |
| 34. | In either awaits you a Companion; and that Companion is Yourself. |
| 35. | Ye can have no other Companion. |
| 36. | Many have arisen, being wise. They have said "Seek out the glittering Image in the place ever golden, and unite yourselves with It." |
| 37. | Many have risen, being foolish. They have said, Stoop down unto the darkly splendid world, and be be wedded to that Blind Creature of the Slime." |
| 38. | I who am beyond Wisdom and Folly, arise and say unto you: achieve both weddings! Unite yourselves with both! |
| 39. | Beware, beware, I say, lest ye seek after the one and lose the other! |
| 40. | My adepts stand upright; their head above the heavens, their feet below the hells. |
| 41. | But since one is naturally attracted to the Angel, another to the Demon, let the first strengthen the lower link, the last attach more firmly to the higher. |
| 42. | Thus shall equilibrium become perfect. I will aid my disciples; as fast as they acquire this balanced power and joy so faster will I push them. |
| 43. | They shall in their turn speak from this Invisible Throne; their words shall illumine the worlds. |
| 44. | They shall be masters of majesty and might; they shall be beautiful and joyous; they shall be clothed with victory and splendour; they shall stand upon the firm foundation; the kingdom shall be theirs; yea, the kingdom shall be theirs. |
| In the name of the Lord of Initiation. Amen. | |
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